In brief
Mitchell Fairbarn, a Canadian tourist, stole a Chilean flamingo named Peachy from the Flamingo Las Vegas Hotel and Casino during a drunken excursion. Court footage showed Fairbarn carrying the bird by the neck into his hotel room, while the animal suffered feather loss and blood. After 112 pieces of evidence and 14 witnesses, the jury convicted him on both felony and misdemeanor animal cruelty charges. Fairbarn faces nearly five years in prison and remains on house arrest pending sentencing in December. The animal has largely recovered but now shows heightened anxiety around humans.
Mitchell Fairbarn, 34, of Canada was found guilty of animal cruelty after stealing a Chilean flamingo from the Flamingo Las Vegas Hotel and Casino in March.
Video footage shown at the trial revealed Fairbarn, visibly intoxicated, lifting the bird by its neck and walking up the elevator to his hotel room.
During the proceeding, Fairbarn admitted drinking 30 to 40 beers before the incident, claiming he had no intention to harm the animal—an assertion dismissed by animal experts who testified Peachy suffered feather loss and bleeding when rescued.
His lawyer, Josh Tomsheck, portrayed the act as a “harmless prank” and blamed alcohol for the “bad decisions,” adding that Fairbarn received death threats after his arrest.
The court heard testimony from 14 witnesses and reviewed more than 112 pieces of evidence. The jury, after about five hours, convicted Fairbarn on both felony and misdemeanor animal abuse charges.
Fairbarn faces nearly five years in prison and remains under house arrest in Las Vegas, with a sentencing hearing scheduled for December. The state veterinarian reports Peachy has largely recovered, though the flamingo now exhibits a more anxious demeanor around humans.
