Veterinary Care Program
Chimpanzees relocating to Project Chimps receive a complete examination from the institution they are leaving. From that date on, the chimpanzees will receive a preventative medicine routine exam every 4 years. Males will have their vasectomies revisited during these exams and a dental consultation will occur along with complete panels from blood, stool, urine, xrays, and ultrasounds. Furthermore, all chimps will receive vaccination boosters and a Tb test during these routine exams.
Additional procedures will occur as needed per individual based on presenting symptoms that require a hands-on diagnosis in order to provide appropriate treatment. Individuals with ongoing conditions that need regular diagnostics will receive medical-focused positive reinforcement training (PRT) to cooperate with routine testings to avoid the need for full sedations as much as is practical.
All chimp care personnel will be asked to participate in quality of life assessments (QOL) for the chimps they routinely work with. These assessments will take place shortly after a new chimp arrives and updated routinely to maintain baseline scores. Chimps with chronic conditions or ongoing ailments will have these assessments repeated more frequently to provide a 360 review of how the chimp is responding to treatments.
Consultants from the Council of Medical Professionals (CMP) will be invited to participate in the procedures, or to review diagnostic results, based on the patient’s presentation and the specialty field of the consultant.
Veterinary Medical Director
Dr. Jenny Jaffe
Dr. Jenny was born in Virginia before moving to Holland at the age of six, where she was educated throughout veterinary school. She has a Masters in Wild Animal Health from the Royal Veterinary College in London.
She has worked in the UK and in the rainforests of Ecuador tending to many kinds of wildlife, including orangutans at a sanctuary in Borneo. In addition, Dr. Jenny spent time in Sierra Leone at a large chimpanzee sanctuary. This experience was most comparable to her work at Project Chimps.
She has reintroduced wildlife at the Institute of Zoology in London, conducted field work with wild chimpanzees in the forests of Ivory Coast and did lab work at the Robert Koch Institute in Berlin, Germany. She also has worked in small animal clinics with cats and dogs in the UK, Germany and the Netherlands, but was recruited for Project Chimps based on her experience with wildlife, chimpanzees in particular.
She first got interested in primates during volunteer work in Costa Rica. Over time, she ended up focusing on chimpanzee health and disease. She finds it fascinating to watch chimps interact with their environment and each other and says it’s “been a privilege to observe chimps in the wild.”
Dr. Jenny loves travel and learning new languages -- she speaks seven -- and has had a cultural cooking blog in the past. She's enjoying Southern food and seeing her Georgia-based family members more frequently than when she was overseas. She has dabbled in ceramics by creating birds as public art and has indicated that she may be up for a dare on camera for fundraising purposes.
Her goal at Project Chimps is to “provide the best physical and mental health for the chimps, together with the caregivers, and provide the best care possible as they age." She also hopes to share knowledge of best practices with other sanctuaries.
Vet Team
- Joseph Elliot - Veterinarian Assistant joined 2018
Clinic Volunteers
A dedicated team of volunteers with medical backgrounds assist on a weekly basis at the veterinary clinic, working side by side with the veterinarian. These volunteers have completed the basic volunteer training required of all volunteers before advancing into the clinic program. They complete rounds, labs, pharmacy needs, medical records, and assist with hands-on exams when the chimps are sedated.
Clinic Team Volunteers
- Sharon Jo Miller, RN - Nurse
- Dr. Jill Nielsen, DNP, MPH - Nurse Practitioner
- Mike Vaughn, RN, PA - Physicians Assistant
- Joe Dufresne, DDS - Dentist
- Jim Thurman, DDS - Oral Surgeon
- Jim McClearan, DVM - Veterinarian
additional volunteers participate in this program not yet listed above
Council of Medical Professionals (CMP)
The primary goal of a CMP is to provide the best possible care to the chimps at Project Chimps. These amazing primates have been raised in captivity and now it’s their time to live - and live healthy medically and emotionally. These primates are similar to humans in so many ways that medical treatments often overlap. Combining veterinary and human care expert medical knowledge is humane care.
By establishing a CMP at Project Chimps, the most advanced and sophisticated care, which is offered to people, will be available to the chimpanzee residents at the facility.
A highly skilled team of board-certified veterinary, psychiatric, dental, medical, and surgical care consultants will be available to PC. Consultants from the specialties listed are available. Everyone will work hand in hand to assure the best medical veterinary care is provided.
Physician & Surgeon Leadership
- Andrew Kirsch, MD, Chief Medical Liaison
Psychiatric Care Team Chief Consultant
- Susan Kirsch, MD - Psychiatry
Surgical Care Team Consultants
- Andrew Kirsch, MD, FFAP, FACS - Urology
- Joshua Murphy, MD – Orthopedics
- Joseph Williams, MD- Plastic Surgery
Medical Care Team Consultants
- Patty Zerra, MD - Hematology
- Stephanie Jernigan, MD - Nephrology
- Krista J. Childress, MD - Gynecology
additional medical professionals support this program not yet listed above.
Interested in contributing your medical expertise to this team and bring a skill set not yet represented? Contact us today.
Won't You Help?
This project would not be possible without our many generous individual supporters and volunteers. We rely on donations to fulfill our mission, including caring for our existing residents and expanding the sanctuary to accommodate those chimpanzees still waiting in the lab.
Won’t you help us bring the remaining chimps to sanctuary by supporting Project Chimps today? Please donate today because...