Foxie (Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest)

In August of 1976, Foxie was born without any knowledge of what life had in store for her - but she found out quickly that she was destined for testing in a laboratory. Soon after her birth, Foxie was injected and traumatized repeatedly in the name of hepatitis vaccine studies. Additionally, she was used for breeding more chimpanzee “subjects”; over the years, all four of Foxie’s babies were ripped away from her during infancy. As the years crawled by, Foxie became unwanted – researchers no longer wanted her for their tests or for breeding purposes. She was moved to a cage in a windowless basement laboratory where she sat with little to distract her from the miserable life she had been born to lead.

Then, Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest stepped in to change her life forever. When Diana Goodrich first visited the laboratory, Foxie’s caretaker warned that the chimpanzee was unpredictable and would try to grab humans when given the chance. Luckily, Diana persisted and eventually, the once-shy Foxie warmed up to her. According to Diana, “Foxie doesn’t try to grab her caregivers. She is mostly interested in playing with us, and she can’t get enough of play!” When Foxie was rescued from the laboratory in 2008 and brought to Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest in Washington, she was initially aloof around humans and didn’t care for the toys they provided her with. However, she soon became attached to her dolls – specifically her troll and Dora the Explorer dolls. According to the sanctuary, “Though it may seem endearing how she loves and hugs her dolls, it’s also a sad reminder that Foxie was never able to keep a baby of her own. She would get knocked down and wake up with her babies stolen from her.”

Despite the torment Foxie experienced in the lab, she has come to forgive and accept humans. Now, she is interactive and joyful as she searches for fruit, pirouettes, somersaults, and cuddles her dolls. The psychological trauma in her past will always be a part of Foxie’s reality, but she has been able to adapt to her new home at Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest and will be cared for and loved by her sanctuary family for the rest of her days.

Foxie found her sanctuary at Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest.