When someone takes a pet into their home, it immediately becomes an inseparable part of the family. And just like any member of the family, when they start behaving badly, some people will not admit it, or do something about it, until it is already too late.
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This is the story of Sandy Herold and her dear pet Chimpanzee Travis. Treating him as one of her children, Sandy loved the ape intensely, and after experiencing many losses, she would become emotionally dependent on him. The events that follow will prove even more tragic, to say the least. This is their story.
Sandy Herold’s Fist Chimp Encounter
Sandy Herold was born in 1983 in Connecticut. Her parent owned a successful bakery in downtown Stamford. On a windy road called Rock Rimmon, the family built their home just north of the city, and Sandy grew up and lived her whole life in Connecticut. She was an only child, which meant that she spent a lot of her time playing with her dog and the horses they owned. After high school, she got married, but soon got divorced, and had remarried in 1960. She had a daughter named Suzan with her second husband and they were happily in love.
Her second marriage only lasted four years, and by the time she was 30, she married Jerry Herold, a smart and kind man who raised Sandy’s daughter Sue like his own. They moved to Rock Rimmon, and Jerry opened a few businesses in Stamford, one of which made them rich. The family traveled with their horses so that the girls could race in rodeos, where they met their friend Charla Nash. At one rodeo, Sandy and Charla saw a chimpanzee participating, and an intrigued Sandy met with him backstage where she gave him some gummy bears as a treat.
Sandy’s Life Changed Drastically
The Herolds lived a happy life, always busy with their horses and dogs. Sandy and Sue worked together, raced together, and went line-dancing together. They had a very close and special bond, which was severed when Sue got married and moved away. Sandy was heartbroken, and when her brother and parents died soon after, she felt like she had lost her purpose in life.
In 1995, Sandy flew to Missouri while Jerry stayed home for business to meet her own baby chimpanzee. He was a boy that she named Travis after Travis Tritt, her favorite singer. Sandy cried as little Travis, dressed in his diaper, looked up at her with his soft pink face, holding her with his tiny hands and feet. She paid the breeder named Connie Casey $50,000 cash and they boarded a flight home together two days later.
Travis Was Their Child
Once at home, Jerry and Sandy treated baby Travis like their real baby. He drank formula from a bottle, Sandy burped him, and he slept in a crib. He grew up quickly, first starting to scoot around the house and then walking on his arms and legs. He learned how to use a toilet and enjoyed bath time with his parents. Soon he was brushing his teeth by himself and Sandy enjoyed playing dress-up with him.
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The Herolds adjusted their entire home to accommodate Travis. He had an outdoor enclosure and he could roam their house freely when Sandy and Jerry went out, running between rooms and swinging from the tires and ropes installed just for him. He had his own bedroom and bed, but also often slept on a mattress that his parent kept on their bedroom floor.
Their Staff Loved Travis Too
At the tow shop, Travis had tire swings and ropes to swing from too. He was friendly towards the tow drivers and mechanics who passed through and everybody loved the adorable chimpanzee. It was a happy time for Sandy as her daughter Sue had divorced her husband and moved back to Stamford with her son. The women worked together at the auto body and tow business with Travis always nearby.
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Sue’s son, Tyler, was at first close in age to Travis, but Travis aged more rapidly than the boy. Travis was growing up quickly and enjoyed playing catch with Jerry, riding bikes, a tricycle, and even the lawnmower. He was like Jerry and Sandy’s son they raised together. He would even go to the beach and let Sandy take him into the water with her.
They Spoiled Their Special Boy
Travis was allowed to sit at the table with his ‘parents’ for meals. Apart from his oatmeal at breakfast (which he ate with a spoon), he had rather expensive taste. At their favorite restaurant, he loved the filet mignon and he also enjoyed lobster and Lindt chocolate. When the ice cream man came down the street, he would pull at Sandy to buy him some. He could also help himself to juice and soda whenever he felt like it.
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When Sandy was on the phone, Travis would get annoyed and put the volume of the TV up to get her attention. They had these little mother-son interactions just like people and Sandy could never get over how much Travis was like a real human. She told other people about his brain cells and how similar they are to human beings’ brains.
Stamford’s Favorite
When Sandy’s old friend Charla Nash and her daughter came to visit, they played outside with Travis and took pictures with him as he played with their hair and posed along. Soon, Travis was Stamford’s most famous resident. He also became a mascot for the Harolds’ businesses as his photo was plastered on their vehicles and he often rode shotgun too. Police officers had their pictures taken with him and strangers would pet him.
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A neighbor reported how he noticed a Corvette driving down the Harolds’ driveway one afternoon, with none other than Travis in the passenger seat while Sandy drove. It was Travis’s favorite car and apparently, he tried to take the keys and drive it once. Both Travis and Sandy had an arm hanging out of their open windows and casually waved back at the neighbor when he greeted them.
Sue Moves Away
Sue married her second husband when Travis was about five and she had two more children. When they decided to move to the Outer Banks where her husband was working, Sandy was very upset that her only daughter was leaving her. She didn’t approve of the new husband either. Sandy would call Sue and send them money and presents. When Sue wrote to Sandy, she would keep the notes in plastic bags.
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Sue had to make many trips to Connecticut to move all her belongings. In September 2000, Sue drove home after taking Percocet for back pain earlier that day. Sadly, she crashed along the highway in Virginia. Her baby survived unharmed in the car seat, but Sue was ejected from the vehicle during the crash and passed away… Sandy was asleep when she woke to the phone call with the horrific news.
Losing Sue Was Too Much
Sue had an open casket funeral, dressed in a beautiful floral dress that Sandy had given her when she was still alive. Sandy didn’t handle the loss of her daughter well… She blamed Sue’s husband for her death and wouldn’t allow some people to visit her. After losing her daughter, her moods would vary between raging anger and severe depression. Her relationship with her grandchildren also suffered and deteriorated.
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Sandy ended up isolating herself and even had thoughts about taking her own life. All she had left to live for was Jerry and Travis. Eventually, she started leaving the house again, but only with the two of them with her. They went to the beach again, the three of them holding hands and Travis with Apollo their dog’s leash. Sandy felt like Travis was now her only living child.
Travis Becomes an Adult
Soon, Travis became a young adult chimpanzee with maturing tastes. One evening, as Jerry was drinking a glass of wine, he noticed that Travis was curious about his drink and so offered him a taste. In no time, it was their ritual to drink a glass of wine together in the evenings. Jerry and Travis would clink their stemmed wine glasses and say cheers before enjoying their nightcap.
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Travis’s personality also changed with his age. One night in October 2003, after having dinner together and cheering for the Yankees in the World Series (Travis loved watching TV – especially sports), Sandy, Jerry, and Travis had to go for a drive to the tow shop. They jokingly asked Travis if he wanted to join, but it was a joke, they always took him. It had been three years since Sue passed away.
Something Happened
As they stopped at an intersection, someone threw a soda bottle through Travis’s open car window. He looked disgruntled and unbuckled himself, unlocked and opened his door, and knuckle-ran into the road. He looked around, dressed in his extra-large adult diaper that he wore when he went out. He jumped onto some cars and then lay in the road, rolling on his back. People came to see what was happening.
For two hours, Travis climbed and hopped on and over cars and evaded the police officers who responded to the “loose chimpanzee downtown” call. People laughed as he even smacked some officers on their backsides as they failed to catch him. Not even any of his favorite treats could get him back in the car. Travis looked like he was having fun, smiling all the while he was causing this chaos.
No Charges Were Pressed
When Travis finally wore himself out, he got tired and climbed back into the car. Nobody pressed charges and the police officers reported that he was just being playful. Travis was grounded the next day for his behavior, but the Department of Environmental Protection knew about the event and that the Harolds needed a permit to keep a primate over 50 pounds according to a new statute.
Though they didn’t want to press charges against Stamford’s local celebrity, Stamford’s animal-control contacted primatologists who explained to Sandy that Travis was now an adult chimpanzee. They usually mate more than 50 times a day in the wild and are as strong as five men combined. They also reminded Sandy about adult chimpanzees’ unpredictable and potentially violent behavior – she couldn’t maintain him for the rest of his life which could be another 50 to 60 years.
A Sensitive Story
Although Sandy seemed to heed the officer’s warning, she still maintained that Travis had never shown sins of violence. She did, however, not share a sensitive story with the officer. Connie Casey, the breeder she got Travis from, phoned her two years earlier to tell her that Travis’s parents escaped from their cage and ran to a nearby ranch where a 17-year-old, Jason Coats, was driving home with some friends.
According to Coats, the chimps trapped them in the car and started rocking it. Jason managed to get out and ran home to get his shotgun. By that stage, Casey had arrived on the scene and tranquilized Suzy, Travis’s mom. Although she begged Jason not to, he shot Suzy who died soon after. Although neighbors said that the chimps were acting playfully, Jason believed they were dangerous. He served a month for animal abuse and property damage.
Travis Stopped Going Out
The Herolds decided to stop taking Travis out after the incident downtown and they sacrificed a lot of work time to be home with him. While they were eating dinner one night, Travis was clearly sulking as he had his back to Jerry as he sat next to him. Sandy and Jerry both tried their best to engage Travis and tried to cheer him up by showing him Jerry’s tooth that he had fixed earlier that day.
They enticed him to look at Jerry’s new tooth and at first, he was despondent, but later he couldn’t help himself and played along with their game, pointing at the tooth that Jerry had fixed. Travis bounced in his chair and put his face in Jerry’s chest. “Show daddy your teeth now,” Sandy invited. He puckered his lips again, showing his shiny white teeth as he looked up at Jerry.
Jerry Gets Sick
“Show Daddy your big tongue now!” Sandy said next, and Travis stuck out his big pink tongue. He was clearly enjoying himself, smiling and shaking his shoulders as he sniggered. He hugged Jerry and patted him on the back. However, Jerry started complaining more often about not feeling well and in March 2005 he had to go to hospital from work.
Jerry had stomach cancer and ended up staying in hospital for weeks. Sandy stayed by his side in the hospital every day. Jerry was basically on his deathbed, so he wanted to talk to Sandy about what would happen to Travis once he passes on. He urged her to take him to a sanctuary as he explained Travis would be too much of a responsibility for her to handle alone. The thought saddened him too, but he thought it would be best for both of them.
Travis Missed His Dad
Travis was confused and disorientated by Jerry’s absence. He used to frantically smell Sandy’s clothes when she returned from the hospital. He became very sad, especially when Sandy put Jerry on the phone to talk with him. Travis would rock back and forth for hours and take Jerry’s pictures off the walls to kiss and hug until Sandy had to hide them in a box. Jerry passed away on April 12th.
Sandy isolated herself after Jerry’s death, ignoring condolences from friends. Travis would still rock himself, but he would brush Sandy’s hair when she cried, comforting her. He carefully bit her nails and would then file them for her. After about a year had passed since Jerry’s death, Sandy wrote a letter to a chimpanzee sanctuary in Florida. The last two paragraphs of the letter went as follows:
Sandy’s Letter
“Needless to say, after 45 years with the most wonderful man in the world, we are both lost without him and miss him dearly. Travis still waits for him, especially at supper time, because at that time, they both had a glass of wine with their supper, and if my husband ever cooked anything, you can bet it has garlic in it. Try having two guys breathing on your sleep time with (garlic breath).
Travis would often go to the bedroom window, sit on the bench seat, look out, get very vocal and happy, and then come back to sleep; this was always very late at night. Finally, I went to a psychic, and she told me Jerry would visit at night and talk to Travis, and my husband would always kiss me good night. P.S. (him and Travis kiss alike) that’s good too.”
Travis’s Future
“I have no family; my only child, Suzan, had gotten killed in an auto accident four years before Jerry died and whom Travis also loved. My grandkids live in North Carolina, and I don’t see them very often. I live alone with Travis, we eat and sleep together, but I am worried that if something happens to me as suddenly as my husband, what would happen to Travis? Therefore, I have to try to do something before that happens.”
“I set up a trust fund for him, but that’s not enough; he needs someone to play with of his own kind and have the best, most possible life if I’m not here to care for him. I would love to see and talk to you if that’s possible. I am flying down to see your member event enclosed is our donation. I am looking forward to meeting you.”
Charla Came Back Into Her Life
Sandy went through the whole process of signing the letter (from her, Jerry, and Travis), including photos of the family and writing a check for $250. Unfortunately, she never sent it, nor did she go to Florida. Luckily, Charla Nash reunited with Sandy around the time of Jerry’s death and could help her with some work around the yard. Charla and her daughter, Briana, were homeless for a year before they moved in with Sandy and Travis.
Both women benefitted from Charla’s return. Charla and her daughter had a place to live in Sue’s old loft apartment and Sandy had help with the towing business and bookkeeping. After a while, Charla’s responsibilities blurred, she maintained the lawn and took care of Travis when Sandy left, which was only for compulsive shopping trips. Travis hadn’t left home for four years at this point.
Travis Was Aging
In 2008, Travis had become unrecognizable. He was 14 years old, weighed 240 pounds, stood five feet tall, and was extremely obese. His torso’s hair was grey and his hairline had receded. He had wrinkles on his face and his chest sagged. All he did was eat snacks, play computer games, watch TV, and walk around inside the house. Jerry had designed a new addition for Travis some years before which they started constructing in early 2008.
In February 2009, Sandy and Charla spent a weekend at the Mohegan Sun Casino and Sandy even took Charla to get her hair done before they went home. Sandy also sponsored Charla some money to gamble with so that they can both have a good time.
Travis Seemed to Be Agitated
Around 3 p.m. that afternoon, Sandy was getting nervous as she had to meet a friend, but Travis got the keys while she was cleaning his room and he let himself out into the yard. He looked a bit irritated that day, he wasn’t even interested in watching T.V after his lunch of fish and chips and ice-cream cake. Sandy put a Xanax in his tea that afternoon as she was concerned about his mood.
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Sandy called Charla and told her that Travis was running around outside by the cars. He wanted to go for a drive and wouldn’t come inside when she called him. Charla came over at 3:40 p.m (Sandy said she volunteered, but Charla maintained that Sandy asked her to). She had Travis’s Elmo doll as she approached him and when she was about 35 feet away, he knuckle-ran towards her.
The Brutal Attack
When Travis reached Charla, he stood up on his two back legs. “Travis!” Sandy shouted. “Travis! What are you doing? Travis! Stop! Travis! It’s Charla, Travis!” He pushed Charla against the side of her car and then knocked her to the ground. There was immediate blood all over Charla. Sandy was frantically screaming and quickly grabbed a snow shovel and used it to beat Travis over the head. He continued attacking Charla and was also screaming. Hysterical, Sandy ran to the house and found a butcher knife. As Travis was on top of Charla, chewing her and pulling her apart, Sandy stabbed him with the knife in his back.
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That didn’t stop him, so she stabbed him again and again, and then he turned around to look directly at her. Sandy quickly ran to her car which was parked nearby, got in, and locked the door. Still clutching the butcher knife, she called 911. “Two-forty-one Rock Rimmon Road, send the police!” she cried. When they asked what the problem was, she yelled, “The—that—the chimp killed my—my friend!”. They were still unclear what had happened to her friend… “Oh, please! Send the police with a gun—with a gun—hurry up!”
Time Was Running Out
“Oh, your chimpanzee is killing your friend?” the dispatcher replied. “Yes! He ripped her apart! Hurry up! Hurry up! Please!” Sandy pleaded. Still, they wanted to know, “What is going on? What is the monkey doing? Tell me what the monkey is doing.” “He—he ripped her face off!” Sandy answered. Eventually, she just said, “Gun! They got to shoot him! Please! Please! Hurry! Hurry! Please!”
The operator told her, “Ma’am, ma’am, I need you to calm down. They’re already on their way.” She was frantic. “I can’t. I can’t … He’s eating her! He’s eating her!” she cried. “Please! God! Please! Where are they? Where are they?” The conversation went on for about 12 minutes until the authorities finally arrived at the scene…
Travis’s Last Day
It was a gruesome scene when the authorities arrived… There was a half-naked body lying still on the ground, covered in blood. Travis walked around casually, then to the police car. He tried to open the passenger door, but it was locked, so he walked over to the driver’s side. It was unlocked, so Travis opened it and the officer fumbled with his holstered gun as Travis looked inside, showing his bloody teeth.
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When the officer managed to release his gun, he shot Travis four times. Travis fell backward but managed to run off. When the cop exited the car, he saw pieces of scalp and fingers lying around and he walked towards the body. Charla reached for him with the stump of her arm. Meanwhile, Travis had snuck back into the house, trailing blood as he went. He died on his bed.
An Unlikely Survival
Miraculously, Charla survived the gruesome ordeal. However, her injuries were severe. She no longer had her nose, jaws, eyelids, or most of her scalp. Travis tore her face apart and broke most of the bones in her face and she would never see again. He also ripped off her one hand. She was admitted to the Cleveland clinic, and a month later her family sued Sandy for $50 million.
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Journalists tried their best to lure Sandy out of the house for a good story, but eventually gave up. There were many inaccurate reports about Travis’s identity and that he was the same chimp from some Old Navy s. Even worse, the New York Post claimed that Sandy had some “weird jungle love” going, but she explicitly denied ever having sexual relations with Travis.
Sandy Tried to Get Her Life Back
After the prying media lost interest in her and Travis’s story, there were still painful allegations that she cared more about her pet chimp than her friend Charla. “I stabbed my own son,” she sadly told her friends on the phone. She even refused to clean the blood that Travis had messed in the house on his dying day. She even got a massive chimpanzee stuffed toy that she kept in his room.
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Eventually, she met up with friends at times or went to the casino. She also kept shopping for clothes that she would hoard at home instead of sending them to her grandchildren. She watched TV every night and would always talk to her friends on the phone, mostly crying about Travis. She even went on a date once, but had a bad experience.
Sandy Falls Ill
All Sandy had left in her life was animals. She fed the raccoons and deer in her yard and found another chimpanzee. His name was Chance and since she knew that he couldn’t live with her, she shared his costs with a friend who lived out of state and would visit him there. It would bring Sandy to tears when she cuddled and played with little Chance.
One warm summer evening in Connecticut, Sandy was alone at home when her chest started hurting. The pain became worse, so she called a friend to come over and be with her. When the pain still persisted after a hot bath, her friend called 911 and Sandy got in an ambulance in her robe and slippers.
Charla’s Face Revealed
The hospital discovered that Sandy’s aorta was bulging and she needed immediate surgery. Sadly, her lungs filled with blood during the operation and she died in theatre. Sandy had a tough life. Even though she was a millionaire, she suffered losing her daughter, her husband, and her friend whose injuries consumed her. She could finally rest in peace.
Charla Nash went through multiple cosmetic surgeries, but they didn’t help for her facial appearance. Nine months after the incident on her 56th birthday, she went on the Oprah Winfrey Show and revealed her face. It was a massive moment in television and not for the faint-hearted. She shared with Oprah that she didn’t remember the attack and that she didn’t have time to worry about how other people look at her. “I just look different,” she said. “Things happen in life that you can’t change. It’s a tragedy.”
One of the First Face Transplants
Charla didn’t have any financial backup or support. Luckily her brothers, together with a team of representatives, could organize movie and book deals for her. She is one of the first people in the world to receive a face and hand transplant. When asked about her daily challenges witth her new appearance, she shared in an interview, “It’s very hard to live. Sometimes you want to cry, you want out.” She hopes that one day she will be able to live at home instead of a nursing facility., where she says the staff and residents keep their distance.
Initially, her daughter was shocked by what happened with her mother, but she is doing better now. When Charla heard about Sandy’s death, she was surprised. “Sandra was a troubled woman, and maybe she has some peace now,” she said.
Up next, more shocking tales about pets who, out of the blue, turned from darlings to danger!
When Pets Attack: Real Stories of Pets Who Turned on Their Owners
We’ve all heard different stories of people who have owned exotic pets who end up killing them. Or rumors of elderly people who only lived with their pets for company only for them to start eating their bodies when they drop dead of natural causes. While we all want to dismiss them as speculation or just a made-up story, we’re sorry to say that there is probably more truth to those stories than you think!
As terrifying as it sounds, there have been several instances where people’s very own beloved pets end up being the cause of their demise. Or at least take advantage of them once they are dead. Have we piqued your morbid curiosity? Good! Then keep reading for more real stories of pets who turned on their owners.
Scarface the Pitbull
Scarface the Pitbull was owned by Brenda Guerrero, 52, and her husband, Ismael, in Tampa Bay, Florida. However, he turned on them on New Year’s Day in 2017 after Brenda tried to put a dog sweater on him.
Scarface bit Brenda and when Ismael tried to help her the dog started attacking him. Even their 22-year-old son tried to stop Scarface but was unsuccessful. The family of three eventually escaped and left their dog outside. When Animal Control officers were called to the scene, they subdued Scarface with a taser. He was eventually euthanized. Police officials stated that Scarface was “pretty aggressive.”
Teddy the Black Bear
Teddy the Black Bear was raised by the Walz family in Allentown, Pennsylvania. They had raised him since he was just a cub, along with a Bengal tiger and an African lion. As an adult, Teddy weighed 350 pounds. However, one fateful day, Teddy attacked Kelly Ann Walz while she was cleaning his cage. Teddy didn’t appreciate the fact Kelly Ann was cleaning his cage while he was still in it.
Children who lived next door to the Walz family saw what was happening, told their parents, and their father ended up shooting Teddy. After the incident, authorities found out that the license that Kelly’s husband had to sell and keep exotic animals had expired a while ago.
Pet Black Widow
Mark Voegel lived alone in a small apartment in Dortmund, Germany. His only company was his assorted pets, ranging from insects to snakes. Unfortunately, one of his “pets” ended up causing his death while the others took advantage of the situation after he died.
Voegel was bitten by his pet black widow and ended up dying in his home. However, he was not found until about two weeks later. When Voegel was found, it became apparent that all of the hundreds of snakes, lizards, and spiders had begun feasting on his dead body. There were webs draped across his body and pieces of his body were scattered all around his home.
