Owner of 11-foot alligator kids would swim with slams officers who seized 750-pound reptile

Tony Cavallaro kept an 11-foot, 750-pound alligator, called Albert, at his home in Hamburg, New York, where children were invited to swim with the ailing reptile, the NYSDEC said
Authorities have seized an alligator from a man who kept it inside his home and invited children over to pet the animal.
Tony Cavallaro, a resident of Hamburg, a town in Western New York, kept an alligator named ‘Albert’ as a pet in his home and had built an in-ground swimming pool resembling a pond for the animal to live in. The 34-year-old reptile weighed a staggering 750 pounds and measured 11 feet in length.
Children were reportedly invited to swim with the massive reptile until the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) intervened on Wednesday. Ultimately Albert was removed from Cavallaro’s Hamburg property.
READ MORE: Scores of dead animals dumped outside village shop leaving residents in state of shock
NYSDEC officials said that Cavallaro had allegedly permitted members of the public to interact with the unsecured alligator, a practice prohibited under state law. The NYSDEC further said that Albert suffered from multiple health issues, including blindness in both eyes and spinal complications, which were detected upon his removal from the home.
“Even if the owner was appropriately licensed, public contact with the animal is prohibited and grounds for license revocation and relocation of the animal,” The NYSDEC told the New York Post: Cavallaro’s state license to keep Albert had expired in 2021, with authorities previously determining that his holding facility failed to meet necessary safety standards.
Despite this, Cavallaro asserts that he provided exemplary care for Albert during their 34-year companionship. He claims his failure to renew the permit was due to recent changes in NYSDEC regulations regarding alligator ownership, asserting that his attempts to rectify the permit lapse were ignored by authorities.
In an online petition, Cavallaro disputed allegations of endangering the public, insisting that Albert posed no threat to those who interacted with him. He criticized the aggressive manner in which authorities seized Albert, decrying the use of armed agents and describing the scene as “disturbing” and “wrong.”
Tony Cavallaro wrote in an online petition: “As everyone has probably already heard The DEC and SPCA took Albert away from me saying that I put people in harm’s way with him. Everyone who has met Albert or knows Albert knows that this is not true. I took care of him better than most people take care of their kids.”
For all the latest news, politics, sports, and showbiz from the USA, go to The Mirror US
He added: “They also brought at least 20 or more agents to my house in full body armour and guns treating me like a criminal. It was like I was a gun dealing drug dealing criminal the way they acted. The scene that they made on my street is very disturbing and totally wrong. I am very upset and angry about this whole incident!”
The Hamburg community has shown support for Cavallaro, with many asserting that Albert was a gentle creature who never posed a danger to anyone, including the children who swam with him.
Despite the outpouring of support, state environmental officials have yet to decide whether charges will be brought against Cavallaro. In the meantime, the NYSDEC said Albert has been taken to a licensed caretaker until a suitable permanent arrangement can be made for his care.
Source link