Mitchell Fairbarn, a Canadian visitor, is on trial in Las Vegas facing two felony counts of cruelty to animals after allegedly taking a flamingo named Peachy from the Flamingo resort’s habitat in the early morning of March 3. Authorities say he took the bird to his hotel room and tortured it. His friend Mitchell Harrison testified that the trip resembled something out of the movie 'The Hangover,' with both men drinking heavily.
Defense attorney Josh Tomsheck said Fairbarn was drunk and made bad decisions but did not act with malice or intend to torture, maim, or mutilate the bird. Tomsheck argued Fairbarn thought the flamingo seemed 'out of sorts' and believed he was trying to help it, and that the bird was not an animal kept for companionship or pleasure. He described Fairbarn as an animal lover who owns dogs and a parrot and rescues birds.
Tiffany Moore, veterinarian for the Flamingo’s wildlife habitat, testified that video shown in court depicted Fairbarn handling Peachy in a way that could cause respiratory distress and death. She said Peachy had lost a blood feather, had a broken blood feather, and suffered inflammation on his right wing. Moore treated the bird with antibiotics and an anti-inflammatory injection for pain, noting that flamingos generally do not like to be handled and that Peachy was more agitated than usual and trembled during the exam.
Sources: Las Vegas Review-Journal
Original reporting: Las Vegas Review-Journal →
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