A father of three has been found guilty of animal cruelty after he stole a flamingo during a business trip to Las Vegas. Mitchell Fairburn, 34, was in the city for a global construction exhibition and began drinking heavily one evening, consuming between 30 and 40 cans of beer before wandering into the Flamingo Wildlife Habitat at 5am local time.
The Theft and Its Aftermath
Fairburn entered the enclosure, home to six Chilean flamingos, and managed to scoop up Peachy, a 27-year-old flamingo. He then smuggled the bird into a lift and transported it to his room at the Flamingo Hotel and Casino. CCTV footage captured him snatching the bird, and he was later seen in the elevator with the flamingo alongside another guest.
According to Fairburn, he stole the bird as a laugh, intending to create a memorable anecdote. However, he had a change of heart after a few moments with Peachy in his hotel room, leaving the bird in the corridor while he got changed before returning it to its enclosure. By then, hotel security had alerted police, and Fairburn was arrested in the hallway.
Trial and Conviction
The incident occurred in the early hours of March 3. Fairburn has since been under house arrest in Las Vegas, required to hand over his passport and prohibited from leaving the United States or setting foot on the Las Vegas strip. He initially faced four felony charges of animal abuse, but prosecutors narrowed the trial to two felony counts of cruelty to animals relating to injuries Peachy suffered.
The trial began on Monday (October 13) at the Regional Justice Center in downtown Las Vegas, where Fairburn gave evidence. "I thought it was something that we could joke about for the rest of our lives," he told the court. When his lawyer asked if he had any malicious intent or desire to kill, Fairburn replied, "No."
Veterinary surgeon Dr Tiffany Moore gave evidence on Peachy's behalf, revealing the flamingo had seven to eight missing feathers, broken shafts, and blood loss consistent with trauma. Fairburn claimed no knowledge of how Peachy lost his feathers but accepted full responsibility, conceding the surveillance footage "doesn't look good."
Sentencing Pending
During the trial, 14 witnesses spoke about the incident, and more than 112 pieces of evidence were presented, according to CBS. The jury took around five hours to convict Fairburn on felony and misdemeanour animal abuse charges.
Fairburn remains on house arrest until his sentencing hearing in December. He could face up to five years in prison, according to the BBC.
