The animal rights group PETA has sued the City of Fort Lauderdale and Capybara Café, asking a Broward County court to stop the business from exhibiting animals that the group says city zoning rules prohibit. The complaint was filed in Broward County Circuit Court, according to PETA’s announcement.
The suit follows PETA’s September call for officials to investigate the animal encounter business at 744 NW Fifth Ave. PETA alleges that prohibited animals remain at the café and at a residential property where they stay overnight, even after the city issued citations. The group also says the city has since cited the café itself. City staff had earlier found no zoning or land-use violation at the café, though officials did cite the residential property for housing wild animals.
Noah’s Ark Sanctuary operates the café, where visitors pay for supervised encounters with capybaras and other animals. In a statement on its community page, the café said it holds a USDA exhibitor license and state authorization for commercial possession of Class III wildlife, and that municipal zoning is a separate requirement. It also disputed reported animal-health concerns. PETA’s announcement cites possible respiratory illness in capybaras and intestinal parasites in a fennec fox, based on a veterinarian’s review of photographs, but those observations do not confirm a diagnosis.
The café did not respond to New Times’ request for comment on the lawsuit by publication. Its website still advertises animal encounters and reservations.
For Fort Lauderdale residents, the case will test whether the city’s rules on wild animals at commercial and residential properties are enforced. A ruling could determine whether the café’s popular encounters continue at its Fifth Avenue location.
Ending the sentence with a final line is not necessary; the story remains open.
