Right now, seven chimpanzees remain locked away at the DeYoung Family Zoo in Wallace, Michigan — despite mounting scientific evidence and expert declarations confirming that chimpanzees are autonomous, emotionally intelligent beings. In a deeply disappointing decision on October 17, the Michigan Court of Appeals ruled that these chimpanzees do not qualify as "persons" under the law and are instead to be treated as property. This ruling not only ignores decades of primatological research, but also fails a basic moral test.

The Nonhuman Rights Project is fighting to change that. Their case argues that these chimpanzees — capable of forming relationships, making decisions, and experiencing suffering — should not be held in captivity without justification. Instead, they should be transferred to a reputable sanctuary where they can live freely and with dignity.

This petition calls on the Michigan Supreme Court to hear the case and recognize that these chimpanzees deserve basic legal rights — not as humans, but as living beings with proven cognitive complexity and self-awareness. We also urge the owners of the DeYoung Family Zoo to release these animals to a sanctuary, regardless of the legal battle's outcome.

Famed primatologist Dr. Jane Goodall has spoken out about the importance of granting chimpanzees greater protection. These animals are not circus performers. They are not exhibits. They are not property. 

We cannot allow outdated laws to stand in the way of compassion, ethics, and science. The court's claim that recognizing chimpanzees as autonomous beings would lead to a slippery slope is no excuse for inaction — it's a call to take a thoughtful, species-specific approach, just as the Nonhuman Rights Project has proposed.

Please join us in urging the Michigan Supreme Court and the DeYoung Family Zoo to do the right thing: Recognize the personhood of these chimpanzees and release them to sanctuary, where they can live with freedom and dignity.