FREMONT, OHIO -- A small monkey attacked two children and ran wild for hours Thursday in Fremont, police said.
The two girls were around nine years old and suffered scratches, according to Fremont Police Chief Tim Wiersma. Wiersma said the girls should be okay.
The grivet monkey, which is about the size of a raccoon, figured out a way to unlatch his leash and run away from his owner on Hickory Street, Wiersma said. Police fired two rounds at the pet monkey during a nearly three-hour pursuit that ended with the owner capturing it around 6 p.m.
The owner was cited with allowing an animal to run at large, which Wiersma said is a minor misdemeanor with a fine of up to $150. The animal spent Thursday night with its owner, who did not come to the door when WNWO's Michael Henrich and Michael Melchiorre knocked.
Wiersma also said this owner has been cited for the same offense one time before, when the monkey escaped and scratched a different neighbor, but the department's hands are tied. The police chief said he would like to see some sort of exotic animals law put in place to avoid these types of incidents.
We want to know what you think. What sort of animals should be off-limits as pets? What should happen to exotic animals that end up attacking people? What should happen to the owner if an animal keeps escaping? Share your thoughts and join in on the conversation at WNWO's Facebook page.
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