Police find 30 dogs in Las Vegas hotel room; 2 accused of hoarding animals

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Documents obtained by the 8 News Now Investigators reveal police found 51 animals, both alive and deceased, in a car after openly seeing pieces of fur while speaking with a driver and his passenger.

Carolyn Luke, 72; and Timothy Miller, 79, each face 11 counts of animal abuse involving deceased guinea pigs, the 8 News Now Investigators first reported Tuesday.

After receiving a tip about the animals, a Boulder City police officer stopped the car for a broken taillight, documents said. The officer “observed several chunks of fur” on the vehicle’s center console while speaking with Luke and Miller.

“I looked toward the rear of the vehicle and could see what I believed to be black animal carriers inside clear plastic storage totes,” the officer said. “I asked Miller and Luke if they had any animals in the vehicle. Both were very hesitant to answer the question.”

The couple then told police they were carrying 20 guinea pigs and did not suspect any were deceased, documents said.

Animal control officers would later find 51 animals in pet carriers in the car, including 11 deceased guinea pigs, police said.

Las Vegas Metro police would later find 30 dogs, 10 deceased, in a hotel room, and 15 dogs and more guinea pigs at a home.

Boulder City police booked both Luke and Miller into the Henderson Detention Center. The couple faces 11 counts of animal abuse in Boulder City and was not facing charges yet in Las Vegas as of Thursday. The charges allege Luke and Miller of “knowing and willingly” placing 11 “animals in poor condition” in Boulder City, resulting in the guinea pigs’ deaths.

Records show police were called to an animal complaint on Sahara Avenue near Fort Apache Road around 7:30 p.m. Friday. No criminal charges were filed in that case as of Tuesday.

You can contact 8 News Now Investigator David Charns by email dcharns@8newsnow.com.