Bid to keep exotic animals rejected

Thursday, July 3, 2003 | 9:19 a.m.

The Clark County Commission on Wednesday rejected a Las Vegas woman's request that she be allowed to keep animals such as leopards and chimpanzees at her home, saying exotic animals don't belong in her residential neighborhood.

With a 6-0 vote to reject Monica Riddell's request, the commission stood by its decision a month ago to bar Riddell from keeping the exotic animals at her home in a neighborhood near Rancho and Vegas drives. Commissioner Yvonne Atkinson Gates had attended the Wednesday meeting, but was not at her seat when the vote was taken.

More than a dozen supporters and protesters of Riddell's request attended the hearing on the matter before the commission.

Riddell's supporters said she ran a clean, safe operation and was an asset to the neighborhood. Riddell also claimed the neighborhood has other residents with exotic animals.

But those against allowing Riddell's request said they were concerned about the safety of a neighborhood whose residents included wild animals.

Last month Clark County Animal Control Manager Joseph Boteilho said he was concerned not only about the possibility of the animals escaping, but also about the possibility of a child getting into the area where the caged animals are kept.

Riddell has three chimps and six leopards that she has been keeping in Pahrump since the commission's decision last month. She said she primarily keeps the animals for educational exhibitions.