Victory! Second Nevada County Denies Permit to Documented Chimpanzee Abuser

Published by Michelle Reynolds.

Mike Casey is having a tough time finding a place where he can continue to exploit chimpanzees. Last year, Clark County, Nevada, told him to hit the road after learning from local animal advocates and PETA that Casey was illegally holding chimpanzees and a capuchin monkey there when he wasn’t renting them out for use in TV, films, ads, and events. And now, Nye County, Nevada, has told Casey that he isn’t welcome there, either, after PETA and local supporters informed the Pahrump Regional Planning Commission about Casey’s documented abusive actions, including:

  • Forcing chimpanzees to live in filthy cages
  • Denying the animals any form of enrichment, such as toys, to ease their loneliness and despondency
  • Punching and kicking primates and beating them with wooden rods
  • Dumping scalding water on animals

Hannah, one of the chimpanzees imprisoned by Mike Casey. 

Casey will now have to move his operation, and you can bet that PETA will be close behind.

This is the second victory for exotic animals in Nye County in as many months. Officials also recently yanked animal exhibitor Karl Mitchell’s permit to keep exotic big cats after PETA and local supporters informed authorities that the U.S. Department of Agriculture had permanently barred Mitchell from exhibiting animals because of numerous violations of the Animal Welfare Act.

What You Can Do

Let’s keep the pressure on exotic-animal abusers. Please send a polite e-mail to the law firm The Ticket Clinic and ask it to pull its current ad, which features a chimpanzee.

Get PETA Updates

Stay up to date on the latest vegan trends and get breaking animal rights news delivered straight to your inbox!

By submitting this form, you are agreeing to our collection, storage, use, and disclosure of your personal info in accordance with our privacy policy as well as to receiving e-mails from us.

 Ingrid E. Newkirk

“Almost all of us grew up eating meat, wearing leather, and going to circuses and zoos. We never considered the impact of these actions on the animals involved. For whatever reason, you are now asking the question: Why should animals have rights?” READ MORE

— Ingrid E. Newkirk, PETA President and co-author of Animalkind