Why does Pasadena have a strict ordinance on chimp control?

City PIO Ann Erdman wondered, after she "stumbled" on this, while researching dog-leash laws:

"No person owning or having control of any monkey, ape, chimpanzee or other animal of the monkey type shall permit, allow or suffer such animal to run at large within the city, or permit, allow or suffer such animal to be or go upon any street or public place within the city without having the animal securely fastened by an adequate chain or rope, firmly held by or attached to a competent person."

Since Moe the Chimp never lived in Pasadena - he was a West Covina resident - maybe the law goes back to Charles Fuller, the dapper tennis-playing, chain-smoking chimp-about-town, who apparently lived in some style on Grand Avenue around 1914.

Richard Schave of Esotouric includes Charles on his "dark side of Pasadena" tour.

"He got into all this trouble," Schave said before one tour.

It happened when Charles climbed up a rain gutter into a neighbor's house.

"The house dog attacked him and he threw it out the window. Then he attacked Mrs. Lindley and tore off her dress, picked up the baby ... put it down and ran into the kitchen, ate a bowl of soup then got bored and went home."

Since no similar simian high-jinks have been reported in the intervening years, it looks as though the rules are working.