Crime · Las Vegas, NV
Canadian Man Convicted of Animal Cruelty for Taking Flamingo from Las Vegas Hotel
A jury in Nevada district court convicted Mitchell Fairbarn, a tourist from Ontario, Canada, on felony and misdemeanor animal cruelty counts for removing a 27-year-old Chilean flamingo named Peachy from its enclosure at the Flamingo Las Vegas Hotel and Casino on March 3. Prosecutors presented video showing Fairbarn carrying the bird in an elevator and down a hotel hallway, and noted the bird lost seven to eight feathers and sustained wing injuries. The defense argued the act was fueled by drunkenness with no intent to harm. Fairbarn faces up to five years in prison per felony count.