LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) – The owner of several tigers seized from a Pahrump property Wednesday previously claimed they were “service animals,” court documents obtained by FOX5 reveal.
Karl Mitchell, who was arrested for resisting officers attempting to confiscate the animals, previously described his tigers as “service animals” in a 2015 emergency injunction against Nye County. It was his effort to stop Nye County from removing the animals because of a lack of proper permits.
A Nye County judge ruled against Mitchell, stating he did not have the proper special use permits to house an exotic animal, per Nye County Code 6.30.00.
Sheriff Joe McGill also confirmed that Wednesday’s seizure was related to Mitchell’s lack of permits.
In the injunction, Mitchell claimed the tigers provided him emotional support for his PTSD, which stemmed from his military service in the Vietnam War.
The document reads, “Because of the unknown complaint against him and his animals, petitioner has been hounded, harassed, and defamed of his rightful opportunities to keep, care for, and be comforted by, his beloved animals…”
Mitchell also said he attempted to get a permit for the animals but was denied after deputies learned the tigers were being exhibited without a proper USDA license.
County commissioners granted Mitchell a Special Conditions Animal Permit in 2019 after he was initially denied. However, the permit would restrict Mitchell from exhibiting the tigers or transporting them for any reason outside of an emergency or medical care.
Mitchell would sue Nye County in 2020 over the permit battle, accusing officials of “abuse, selective enforcement, and discrimination” for over a decade.
Mitchell claims the county’s interference caused “extreme emotional distress” over the alleged threat against “what the County has recognized as emotional support animals.”
A Nye County Judge would also dismiss Mitchell’s case in 2023, stating he was still not in compliance with county codes regarding exotic animals and a lack of evidence of discrimination.
Mitchell is currently in the custody of the Nye County Sheriff’s Office. It is unclear when he will appear before a judge again.
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