Dez Bryant's Pet Monkey Requested by PETA for Investigation

Some say adorable, others say illegal. Either way, Dez Bryant's alleged ownership of a pet monkey is causing enough of a stir that it might result in a legal investigation.

According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, PETA has contacted DeSoto (Texas) Animal Control to request a formal investigation into the legality of Bryant owning a monkey.

“Monkeys belong in the wild—not (for) football players who acquire exotic animals just to make a splash on Instagram," Brittany Peet of PETA said, per Rapoport.

PETA posted a statement Monday on its website about its request for an investigation:

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After learning that Dallas Cowboys’ wide receiver Dez Bryant recently acquired a baby monkey, PETA sent a letter to local authorities in DeSoto, Texas—where Bryant owns a home—urging them to ensure that the capuchin, now named Dallas, is transferred to an accredited sanctuary that’s equipped to meet his unique needs. As PETA pointed out in its letter, possession of monkeys is prohibited within DeSoto unless the owner has been granted a special-use permit, which private individuals like Bryant are not eligible for.

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The Dallas Cowboys star became the center of controversy after posting a picture of himself with a capuchin monkey, which he named Dallas Bryant:

PETA and other animal activist groups were quick to publicly criticize Bryant and call for him to give the monkey back to a wildlife center.

"A baby capuchin monkey is completely irresponsible to have," April Truitt of the North American Primate Sanctuary Alliance told TMZ. "This animal can easily live 30 to 40 years of its life. I guarantee you it won’t be in his possession that long. Instead he will begging someone like me to take this animal off his hands. It’s inevitable. I guarantee you this was an expensive purchase and he will live to regret it I guarantee you."

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, however, didn't see it as irresponsible, saying on Tuesday: "The monkey thing is pretty humorous," via Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News. "I'm a monkey fan. I can stand in a zoo and look at them all day long."

Of course, Bryant is far from the first celebrity to come under fire for his exotic pets. Former NFL lineman Darnell Dockett received headlines last winter for his pet tiger, and Chad Johnson has tweeted in the past about his various exotic pets. No matter the result of the Bryant case, let's all just hope Dallas Bryant winds up with a better fate than whatever happened to Justin Bieber's monkey.

Follow Tyler Conway (@tylerconway22) on Twitter.