Chimp owner to fight decision to move chimps
Las Vegas, NV (KTNV) -- Bentley the chimp and his owner Mike Casey have made Las Vegas home for two years.
"He's been there two years with no problems," County Commissioner Tom Collins said.
But just last Wednesday, county commissioners decided Casey's chimps can't live at a Southwest Las Vegas home anymore.
"I'm personally not willing to say that you need to have an exotic animal in your backyard," Commissioner Chris Giunchigliani said. "It's not fair to them and it's not fair to the community in the long run."
The board ultimately decided the neighborhood has too many residents. Animal control advised the board that exotic animals as neighbors aren't safe.
Casey has until Dec. 21 to move out, but he plans to appeal the board's decision.
"Our animal control supervisor feels it's not a good place," Collins said. "Come on, that's what we have rules and regulations for so we don't make these arbitrary decisions"
Collins is the only board member to side with Casey and the chimps. He offered a solution for Casey to move into his district where there is land zoned for agriculture and homes are further apart.
But 30 days is still not enough time to secure property and the proper permits to zone it for chimps. If Casey appeals the decision, it could buy him more time to explore other options.
"To not give a person enough time to relocate with those animals in an appropriate enclosure that meets USDA standards somewhere else in our community, is just unfair," Collins said.






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