Couple fights to keep exotic pets in southwest Las Vegas home
Las Vegas, NV (KTNV) -- A local couple is fighting to keep their exotic pets at a home in the southwest part of the Valley.
County Commissioners have voted to allow Stacey and Andrew Weiss to keep up to 11 exotic animals in their home.
The two already have kinkajous, hedgehogs, an opossum and sugar gliders right now at their home near Blue Diamond and Buffalo in the Mountains Edge neighborhood.
The animals are kept in an upstairs bedroom at the home. Stacey hopes to add a 120-pound rodent known as a capybara to her collection.
Stacey's dream is to open an exotic pet zoo. She claims she is certified by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and has already started a nonprofit organization called Wild Adventures Zoo.
Animal activists are vocally against the couple's request, saying family homes are not a good place for exotic creatures. They also say the animals are dangerous when they escape and can spread diseases.
Stacey argues that everything in her home is secure. She even has metal grates on her windows to prevent her animals from escaping.
Although commissioners granted approval to allow exotic pets, the neighborhood where the Weiss' live does not allow exotic pets. The couple says negotiating with the HOA will be their next hurdle towards keeping their animals.
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