Canadian Tourist Convicted of Animal Cruelty in Las Vegas Flamingo Incident

Mitchell Fairbarn, of Ontario, Canada, was convicted Monday of felony and misdemeanor animal cruelty charges after prosecutors argued the bird was injured during the incident.

The case stemmed from a March 3 encounter at the Flamingo Las Vegas Hotel and Casino, where Fairbarn allegedly removed a 27-year-old Chilean flamingo named Peachy from its enclosure and took it to his hotel room.

Surveillance footage presented during the trial showed Fairbarn holding the flamingo inside an elevator and carrying it through a hotel hallway. Prosecutors argued Fairbarn deliberately caused the bird pain, pointing to footage of him pulling Peachy by its feet and feathers found on the hotel floor. Las Vegas police were alerted by hotel security after the flamingo was reported missing.

Upon finding Peachy, authorities noted the bird was missing feathers, had blood on its plumage, and had sustained injuries to its wings. The flamingo is now recovering and, while physically doing well, shows increased anxiety during veterinary examinations, according to Tiffany Moore, medical director of Lone Mountain Animal Hospital, who treated the bird.

Fairbarn's defense attorney acknowledged his client made poor decisions while intoxicated but argued he never intended to harm the animal. "He should not have done that, should not have gone into the habitat, shouldn't have touched a bird, shouldn't have taken Peachy inside," the attorney told jurors. "The truth is, Mitch was drunk. Mitch was stupid. He made bad decisions."

Clark County prosecutor Haley Willming countered that the consequences Fairbarn faced, including death threats and being unable to return to Canada for his father's funeral, resulted from his own actions.

Fairbarn remains under house arrest as he awaits sentencing on December 1. He faces up to four years in prison for the felony conviction and an additional six months for the misdemeanor offense.