(CNN) — An upstate New York man was forced to say goodbye to his unusual pet after local authorities determined he illegally owned the reptile.
Environmental Conservation Police officers seized a 10-foot, 800-pound pet alligator from a home in Hamburg on Wednesday, according to a Facebook post from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.
Deputies said “the homeowner built an addition to his home and installed an in-ground pool for his approximately 30-year-old alligator, and allegedly allowed members of the public to enter the water to pet the alligator,” the post said. Facebook.
CNN affiliate WKBW reports the giant’s name is Albert.
“I’m Albert’s dad, that’s all,” his owner Tony Cavallaro told WKBW. “It’s like family to everyone.”
Cavallaro told WKBW that his license to own Albert’s expired in 2021 and he tried unsuccessfully to renew it with the Department of Environmental Protection.
Environmental protection officials seize an alligator from a home in Hamburg, New York on March 13, 2024. New York Department of Environmental Conservation
The department told WKBW: “Even if the owner is properly licensed, public contact with the animal is prohibited and is grounds for license revocation and relocation of the animal.”
According to the Facebook post, conservation officers worked with local police and the Erie County SPCA to capture the alligator. The reptile suffered from multiple health problems, including “blindness in both eyes and spinal problems,” the department said.
Albert is now being cared for by a “licensed caregiver” until he can be “appropriately transported to permanent care,” the department said.
“Analysis of additional evidence seized during the warrant and consultation with a licensed veterinarian will determine any potential future charges,” the department said in the post.
It is illegal in New York to own any animal classified as a “dangerous animal” (which includes alligators) unless the owner has a dangerous animal license from the Department of Environmental Protection. The license requires owners to have “adequate training, experience and facilities with necessary security” for each dangerous animal.
The town of Hamburg is located in Erie County, New York, about 20 miles south of Buffalo.
/cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/prisa/EO5TMRTY2RCULH5RIW6MCNXU24.jpg "New York City Sues Several Social Networks For “Fueling Youth Mental Health Crisis” | Technology")
