Albert the alligator seized from NY home. What the owner says

Democrat and Chronicle
Updated ·2 min read
17

State officials seized an ailing alligator from an upstate New York home where it was being kept illegally. Environmental conservation police officers confiscated the 750-pound, 11-foot-long alligator last Wednesday from a residence in Hamburg, located just south of Buffalo and approximately 90 minutes west of Rochester.

The home's owner built an addition and installed an in-ground swimming pool for the 30-year-old alligator and allowed people, including children, to get into the water with the reptile, according to the state Department of Environmental Conservation.

The alligator has "blindness in both eyes" and spinal complications, among other health issues. The reptile was sent to a licensed caretaker until a place is found where it can receive permanent care, according to a release from the agency.

Environmental conservation police officers seized the 750-pound, 11-foot-long alligator from a home about 90 minutes west of Rochester.
Environmental conservation police officers seized the 750-pound, 11-foot-long alligator from a home about 90 minutes west of Rochester.

Owners vows to fight for return of alligator in NY

The owner's state license to keep the alligator expired in 2021. The state determined at that time the alligator's holding area failed to meet safety standards. Officers took action this week after learning the "extent at which the owner was seriously endangering the public," according to a statement from the agency.

Tony Cavallaro, who told The Associated Press the alligator, Albert, had been with him since the 1990s, promised to fight for his return. Cavallaro said he treated the alligator like it was his kid and that he never put anyone in danger.

"I'm not dangerous. I'm not being unsafe with people," Cavallaro said.

The home's owner had built an addition and installed an in-ground swimming pool for the 30-year-old alligator, which has blindness in both eyes and spinal complications, among other health issues.
The home's owner had built an addition and installed an in-ground swimming pool for the 30-year-old alligator, which has blindness in both eyes and spinal complications, among other health issues.

Thousands sign petition for alligator's return to NY owner

Over 100,000 people have signed a petition on Change.org, urging for the return of the alligator to Cavallaro.

"I took care of him better than most people take care of their kids," the owner said in the online petition.

Will charges be filed against owner of alligator seized in NY?

The department said that charges against the owner will be determined after all evidence is analyzed and a licensed veterinarian assesses the wild animal and its health.

Contributing: Associated Press; USA Today Network

This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Albert the alligator seized from NY home. What the owner says