PHILADELPHIA — Sheriff’s deputies discovered an alligator inside a home while serving an eviction in Philadelphia on Wednesday morning.
The tenant left the animal behind, along with a husky, inside the home.
“They called and said, ‘There’s a dog and a gator here, and we need you guys to come out,'” remembered Sarah Barnett, the executive director of ACCT Philly.
Barnett said the gator was discovered in a tank inside the home. And surprisingly, this type of rescue is becoming more common.
“It’s not the first time. So, we now sort of have a system for it, which is kind of weird to think about,” Barnett said.
Over the past year, Animal Care and Control has rescued eight alligators in Philadelphia, but none have been as large as ‘Chompy,’ as he is now named. The alligator is approximately 3 feet long and is not in very good health.
“You can tell from the skin he wasn’t receiving enough water. He wasn’t getting sufficient food. He wasn’t receiving the necessary care because gators are not intended to be pets,” Barnett mentioned.
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This story has a happy ending, though. An alligator rescue group from Florida is going to take “Chompy” to a sanctuary.
As for exotic pets, ACCT Philly wants owners to reach out so they can help.
“It means you are a good pet owner if you realize you reached your limitations,” Barnett said.
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