HUNTINGTON -- The Herald-Dispatch's Perfect Pet contest received plenty of entries, but online voters made it clear the winner wasn't going to be a house cat or man's best friend.
The award goes to Zeke, a Black Cap Capuchin monkey. He and his owner, Robin Leadman, live just off of W.Va. 10 in Huntington. The 3-year-old, Leadman said, is a part of the family.
"He's a pet, but he's a member of the family, too," Leadman said.
She got Zeke when he was 7 months old from a breeder in North Carolina. She said she's wanted a Capuchin monkey since she was a little girl.
"There was a dime store in Huntington, and they had one in their pet store in the basement," Leadman said. "I have a friend who has one, and she put me in touch with the breeder."
Though Zeke is an animal, he acts just like a toddler. He is very active, very curious and tends to get into everything. He eats fruits, vegetables, grapes, chicken and pretty much anything you give him, Leadman joked.
"My mother says it's like having a 2-year-old in your house all the time," she said.
But she takes raising him seriously. Because Capuchins tend to live about 40 years, she knew when she got him it was going to be a lifetime commitment.
Leadman doesn't mind, though. And neither does her 28-year-old son, Robert McCloud, who also lives with her. Zeke is almost always in a playful mood, and although he can be mischievous -- if Leadman lets Zeke off his leash, she can only catch him if he lets her -- he's a lot of fun to have around.
"They can open a bottle of water or soda and drink it or pour it out," she said. "Whatever they want to do."
Zeke also is ticklish, Leadman said. And it drives him nuts. But for all the bouncing around the house, Zeke had a soft side as well. If he likes you, he has no problem wrapping his little arms around your leg.
He doesn't like everyone, Leadman said. Sometimes he just doesn't take to teenagers, and he can bite, even though his canine teeth have been removed.
But he's still a pet, Leadman said. And according to the online vote, he's also the perfect pet.
Leadman and Zeke will receive a $350 gift certificate from Petland and a pet portrait from Vickie Finlay valued at $200.
The second-place winner, Fubu the cat owned by Kim Holt of Huntington, will receive a gift basket valued at $50 from Pet Center, three nights lodging at Town House Kennels, a $50 gift card from Complete Pet Mart and a $25 gift card from Pets and Things.
The third-place winner, Bellarose the dog owned by Teresa Woodall of Huntington, will receive a $50 gift card from Ooh La La Boutique and free grooming at Pet Palace.
Four area animal shelters also become winners through the contest, as each will receive a check for $338.75. The shelters are located in Cabell, Wayne and Putnam counties in West Virginia and Lawrence County, Ohio.
The contest, which garnered nearly 55,000 online votes, also helped The Herald-Dispatch's Education Outreach program, which will add 1,875 newspapers per week in Tri-State schools.
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