An exotic animal owner is demanding to regain custody of several tigers seized from his property that he claims are his ’emotional support animals.’
The wild animals were snatched from Karl Mitchell’s home in Pahrump, Nevada – about an hour outside of Las Vegas – around 7 am on Wednesday morning, according to the Nye County Sheriff’s Office.
‘This is our whole life… my whole life,’ he told FOX5 after his release.
Upon his release from the Nye County Detention Center, Mitchell, 71, reunited with his fiancée, Catherine Griffiths, who shared their frustration and grief with FOX5 over the loss of their tigers.
Griffiths gave FOX5 video footage of deputies arriving at their home before their seven tigers were taken. She described the emotional distress she felt during the raid, which led Mitchell to comfort her in an effort to prevent a seizure.
‘She has epilepsy, and I was trying to keep her from having a seizure,’ he said, adding that this was misconstrued as him resisting arrest.
Adding to their account, Griffiths drew attention to a mark on Mitchell’s head, alleging that deputies had forcibly restrained him during the incident.
Mitchell suggested the situation was driven by animal rights activists, specifically those against private ownership of exotic animals.
‘This happened because animal rights people in this country — like Carol Baskin — have made it nearly impossible for people like me to own animals,’ he said. ‘They just hate me.’
Defending his possession of the tigers, Mitchell stated they were prescribed emotional support animals and offered FOX5 a letter as evidence.
The letter, dated 2024 and from his Veterans Affairs doctor, confirmed that he had been prescribed an emotional support animal, specifically his tigers.
Nye County officials asserted that he was not legally permitted to keep them due to a lack of required permits.
The county confirmed the absence of a current Conditional Use Permit and a Title 6 permit for ‘Special Conditions Animals,’ emphasizing that local regulations supersede any emotional support animal designation.
Mitchell, however, stood by his claim of legal entitlement.
‘Yes, all seven of them are emotional support animals,’ he insisted. ‘I have the right to have them. I could have 70 if I wanted.’
The already tense situation escalated when Griffiths was briefly detained after attempting to record officials administering ketamine to one of her tigers.
‘These people have no compassion,’ Mitchell said.
However, Nye County Sheriff Joe McGill told FOX5 a different story, stating they had reports of Mitchell threatening to release the tigers if authorities intervened, which Mitchell denied outright.
His main concern, he said, was the Tiger’s safety.
‘Those tigers are my babies,’ he said. ‘I wouldn’t do anything that would get them shot.’
Despite their relocation to a sanctuary in Arkansas, Mitchell maintained his resolve to bring them back to Nye County.
‘This story isn’t over,’ he said.
A Nye County veterinarian found the tigers in good condition but had concerns about their living environment, a point Mitchell disputed, stating his animals were always well looked after.
Mitchell has long been involved in several legal battles related to the ownership of his tigers.
He has also been cited dozens of times for violating basic animal care standards.
His license for the animals was previously revoked by the federal government, but in 2019, he won an appeal with the Nye County Commission to keep 10 exotic cats at his Pahrump ranch legally after claiming they were ‘therapy animals,’ Animals 24-7 reported.
During a dispute over the ownership of his tigers in 2015, Mitchell said the judge who ruled against him keeping them, was driven by ‘racial hatred,’ according to Pahrump Valley Times.
Mitchell, who is black, previously said: ‘I’m not disappointed, I expected it. She’s afraid of controversy. She claims to read everything, but if she read everything, she wouldn’t have made the decision that she made.’
‘Racial hatred and animus is behind all of this. I’ve been trying to be a good man, but I’m continually picked at and probed.
‘People need to understand that there are four other facilities in town that are not required to have conditional use permits. There’s one facility one mile from here and they have cats but they are not required to have a conditional use permit.’
He is also said to have bought tigers from Joe Exotic, also known as the ‘Tiger King,’ according to multiple reports.
Mitchell is an ‘animal trainer and expert’ at Big Cat Encounters, according to the company’s website which has since been taken down.
The DailyMail.com previously reached out to Mitchell for comment but did not immediately hear back.