Dallas Cowboys' Dez Bryant In Hot Water Over Pet Monkey

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant has had some free time on his hands after suffering a foot injury in week one that sidelined for five games (he returned to action Sunday against the Seahawks).

So he went out and did what any sidelined star would do: He got a pet monkey.

Adorable, right?

Not so fast, say animal rights groups.

Possessing a monkey in DeSoto is prohibited without a special permit, PETA says.

“Monkeys belong in the wild—not in the hands of football players who acquire exotic animals just to make a splash on Instagram,” PETA’s Brittany Peet said in a statement Monday to Patch.

“This baby capuchin was torn away from his mother shortly after birth and needs special care that can now only be provided by wildlife experts who will be able to ensure that he gets the love and attention he deserves.”

The North American Primate Sanctuary Alliance agrees.

“As a public figure, we urge you to use this opportunity to show your fans that the decision to keep a wild animal as a pet was unwise,” the organization wrote in a letter to Bryant.

“We will work with you to find Dallas a proper home at an accredited sanctuary, where he may get proper care and socialization for the rest of his long life. May this serve as an example to educate your followers and protect future baby Dallases from a similar fate.”

He won’t be getting in trouble from authorities at the moment, though.

The DeSoto Police Department said in a press release it has been in contact with PETA, NAPSA, the Cowboys and Bryant’s attorney about the allegations but doesn’t have probable cause to search Bryant’s home.

Police said there is no evidence that the monkey lives in DeSoto or that Bryant doesn’t have a permit for it.

“Although photos were posted on social media sites, this does not rise to the level of probable cause necessary to secure an administrative search warrant to seize the monkey,” the statement said.

PETA said it has made arrangements for the monkey to be transferred to an appropriate sanctuary, where it will be cared for and raised by a surrogate primate mother.

An email to Dez Bryant’s representatives was not immediately returned.