Alligator, husky left in Philadelphia home during eviction process

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 is a dog and a gator in here, and we need you guys to come out,'” recalled Sarah Barnett, the executive director of ACCT Philly.

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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.

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In the last year, Animal Care and Control has rescued eight alligators in Philadelphia, but none as large ‘Chompy,’ as he is now known. The alligator is about 3 feet long, and isn’t very healthy.

“You can tell from the skin he wasn’t getting enough water. He wasn’t getting enough food. He wasn’t getting the care he needed because gators are not meant to be pets,” Barnett said.

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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.