PETA is asking Fort Lauderdale officials to investigate and shut down Capybara Café, the new animal encounter business in the Thrive District. The group says the café lacks required city approvals and raises concerns about where the animals stay after customers leave.
New Times covered the café’s opening on September 22, including its supervised animal encounters and its role in funding Noah’s Ark Sanctuary. A day later, PETA called for officials to close the operation and move the animals to reputable facilities.
City cites residential property
According to Axios’ September 28 report, city staff found no café zoning or land-use violation warranting action. Officials did cite the residential property for housing wild animals and opened a case over an unpermitted enclosure and pond. The owner has until October 8 to address animal housing and October 14 to address the construction violation.
The café did not respond to requests for comment…