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.

McKay was an international heartthrob and star of the series "Adventures in Paradise" created by James Michener, in which he plays Adam Troy, the captain of a boat sailing the Pacific engaging in various adventures. After the series ended, McKay traveled widely, spending significant time in the Amazon. He returned to his Beverly Hills mansion in the late 1960s with the two cheetah’s pictured here. A Los Angeles Times obituary described it thus: “‘Gardner had a passion for lions and cheetahs, and actually had pet cheetahs at his place in Beverly Hills until his neighbors complained,’ said actor Colby Chester, a friend. ‘I remember going with him to visit one of his lions, which was being housed on a game farm in Tujunga. I remember him saying, “It's probably best if you don't go in the cage with me.” I didn't know quite how to take that. I remember watching him literally lying down with his lions.’" (McLellan 2001).

According to the minutes of the Board of Animal Regulation from September 2, 1969, McKay applied for and obtained a permit for the cheetahs, and built a cage for them on his property. [M.13]. It is unclear from the archives when he finally abandoned the practice, and the photos collected here could be taken to suggest a tolerant attitude on the part of LAAS towards the practice.