A woman arrested on a warrant out of Texas could face charges for housing tigers at her Pahrump residence.
Trisha Meyer, 34, was taken into custody by the Nye County Sheriff’s Office on Nov. 7 on a felony arrest warrant out of Harris County, Texas, after a series of events led to her arrest and discovery of multiple tigers and monkeys at her home.
On Nov. 3, Meyer called the sheriff’s office dispatch center requesting information on obtaining a permit to house tigers within Nye County’s jurisdiction.
Then on Nov. 5, Las Vegas Animal Control advised Nye County Animal Control that Meyer was believed to be traveling to Pahrump with a U-Haul trailer possibly containing illegal animals, including three tigers.
Also that day, sheriff’s deputies learned that Meyer had a felony arrest warrant out of Harris County in Texas.
An animal control officer met with Meyer in Pahrump and determined she did not have any animals on the property at that time.
During that meeting, Meyer was advised of the process for obtaining a special conditions animal permit for the tigers. Meyer told the animal control officer that her animals were still in Texas and that she was advised it would be illegal for them to be in Nye County before being permitted, police said.
On Nov. 7, a report came into the sheriff’s office that there were three tigers in the backyard of a home on the 1300 block of Manse Road. Also that day, the felony warrant out of Texas was confirmed by the sheriff’s office.
Upon arriving at Meyer’s to serve the felony warrant, it was discovered by sheriff’s deputies and animal control officers that there were three tigers loose in the backyard of the property. The arrest report noted that the tigers were contained only by a four-foot fence and that a 17-year-old juvenile was in the backyard supervising the exotic animals, while they were feeding on raw chicken.
Additionally, there were eight monkeys inside the residence, none of which are regulated in Nye County, requiring special permits.
Meyer was arrested on the warrant out of Texas and the three tigers were taken into protective custody.
“At no time was anyone attacked by the tigers and the Nye County Sheriff’s Office is not aware of any instance where the tigers were aggressive toward anyone,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement.
The investigation relating to charges in Nye County is ongoing and any charges will be made through the Nye County District Attorney’s Office when the investigation is complete.
Meyer is set to be extradited to Harris County, Texas following normal procedure.
Contact reporter Mick Akers at makers@pvtimes.com. Follow @mickakers on Twitter.