The owner of Albert The Alligator wants his alligator back. He's suing New York state after government agents raided his house and took the alligator away.
The owner, Tony Cavallaro, filed a lawsuit against the New York Department of Environmental Conservation. He previously kept Albert in a $120,000 pen inside of his home. According to the owner, he applied for a dangerous animal license several years before the raid.
He said that he always followed the regulations and thoroughly cared for Albert.
"I have had a license in good standing for over 30 years. During which time the license was annually renewed by the DEC without incident," the lawsuit claims. In 2020, the DEC reportedly changed its requirements for a Possession of Dangerous Animals permit. Cavallaro says he reapplied for the permit. However fast forward to 2021, the DEC said that Albert's enclosure needed to meet the new requirements. However, Cavallaro said that the DEC ignored multiple messages from him over three years.
Albert The Alligator Seized
"Nobody from the DEC returned any of my phone calls despite the fact that their correspondence advised me to contact them if I had any questions regarding the new requirements," the lawsuit stated.
Fast forward to March 2024, the DEC raided the alligator owner's home and took the animal.
"An outright seizure of the alligator and denial of my license was excessive as a matter of law," the lawsuit said. He's demanded Albert's return. "I purchased the alligator with the understanding that I would be able to keep it for the rest of its life by abiding by the then and there existing laws for relicensure."
After being seized, authorities took Albert to Gator Country Adventure Park in Beaumont, Texas.
"I'm distressed that I don't have him. It's ruined my whole life," he also told The New York Post. "He looks very distressed. He doesn't look happy. I could tell by his actions."
The former pet owner said that he is waiting for a lawsuit court date. He wants to make a trip to Texas to see Albert. "At least he's alive and healthy. That's all that matters. That's huge to me," he said.
