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The History of the Los Angeles Animal Services Department

Cheetahs, Gardner McKay, and Robert Rush

Gardner McKay Adventures in Paradise 1961  

Los Angeles celebrities are exceptionally likely to be owners of exotic animals, and the examples are legion.  These photos show General Manager Robert Rush at the home of actor Gardner McKay, who was required to have a permit for the cheetah pictured here.  According to the minutes of the Board of Animal Regulation from September 2, 1969, McKay applied for an obtained a permit for the cheetahs, and built a cage for them on his property.  (M.13)