Tourist Convicted of Cruelty After Taking Flamingo From Vegas Hotel
WHO:
NY Post - Mitchell Fairbarn was 34 years old.
CNN - Mitchell Fairbarn, an Ontario, Canada, man, was convicted of felony and misdemeanor animal cruelty.
CNN - The flamingo was named Peachy; Peachy was a 27-year-old Chilean flamingo.
CNN - Fairbarn’s lawyer, Josh Tomsheck, said his client regretted his “bad decisions.”
CNN - Prosecutor Haley Willming represented Clark County.
CNN - Peachy’s veterinarian, Tiffany Moore, is medical director of Lone Mountain Animal Hospital.
CNN - Nevada animal rights advocate John Waudby said he believed justice had been delivered.
BBC News - Fairbarn testified that he had been drinking 30 to 40 beers before taking Peachy.
Fox News - Surveillance footage showed Mitchell Fairbarn carrying a flamingo through a hotel elevator.
NBC News - Andres Gutierrez reported on the conviction.
WHAT:
CNN - A jury convicted Fairbarn of felony and misdemeanor animal cruelty after about five hours of deliberation.
CNN - Fairbarn faces up to four years in prison for the felony and up to six additional months for the misdemeanor.
CNN - Fairbarn remained under house arrest pending a sentencing hearing set for Dec. 1.
CNN - When Peachy was found, the bird was missing seven to eight feathers, had blood on its feathers, and had wing injuries.
CNN - Moore said Peachy was doing all right physically but was more anxious and nervous during evaluations.
CNN - Prosecutors said feathers were found on the hotel floor and argued that Peachy experienced pain when Fairbarn pulled it by its feet.
CNN - Fairbarn declined to comment after the verdict; Tomsheck also had no comment.
CNN - Willming said Fairbarn received death threats and could not leave the United States when his father died while Fairbarn awaited trial.
CNN - Waudby said, “I hope this sends a message to anybody else that wants to mess with our animals, that you’re not going to do it in Nevada.”
WHERE:
CNN - Fairbarn took Peachy from its habitat at the Flamingo Las Vegas Hotel and Casino and carried the bird to his room.
CNN - The incident occurred at the Flamingo hotel on the Las Vegas Strip; police responded after hotel security reported the bird had been taken.
CNN - The Flamingo’s habitat also features hummingbirds, turtles, koi, and other species.
CNN - The verdict was delivered in a Nevada court.
WHY:
CNN - Prosecutors described the taking as a malicious prank and said Fairbarn willfully caused the bird physical pain.
CNN - Tomsheck said Fairbarn was intoxicated and that the act was “dumb” and “fueled by drunkenness,” but argued he did not intend to harm Peachy.
BBC News - Fairbarn testified that he did not mean to harm Peachy.
HOW:
NY Post - Fairbarn took photos with his hands around Peachy’s neck.
CNN - Video shown at trial depicted Fairbarn holding the squawking flamingo in an elevator and carrying it down a hotel hallway.
CNN - Tomsheck said Fairbarn should not have entered the habitat, touched the bird, or taken Peachy inside.
Fox News - Surveillance footage showed Fairbarn carrying a flamingo through an elevator before the bird was found injured.
NBC News - Fairbarn took Peachy from the hotel enclosure and carried it to his room.
(UPDATED October 21, 2026 01:26 UTC)
Photos show Mitchell Fairbarn with his hands around Peachy’s neck. Fairbarn was 34 years old. The photos were reported by the New York Post.
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(UPDATED October 21, 2026 00:27 UTC)
A Nevada jury convicted Mitchell Fairbarn of felony and misdemeanor animal cruelty after he took Peachy, a 27-year-old flamingo, from its habitat at the Flamingo Las Vegas and carried the bird to his room. Prosecutors said Peachy suffered wing injuries and lost several feathers, while Fairbarn testified he had been drinking heavily and did not mean to hurt the bird; his lawyer said he regretted his “bad decisions.” Fairbarn faces up to four years in prison for the felony and an additional six months for the misdemeanor, and remains under house arrest ahead of a sentencing hearing set for Dec. 1.