Suburban Buffalo man: I want my pet, 750-pound alligator of 30 years back

A suburban Buffalo resident is crying foul after his pet alligator of 30 years was recently confiscated by the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) because, among other things, he failed to get the reptile’s license renewed, according to several reports.

The 750-pound gator, who was named “Albert’ by owner Tony Cavallaro, was taken by conversation officers, who initially served Cavallaro a warrant on the Hamburg, N.Y., resident’s driveway. Eventually, Albert was sedated before having his mouth taped and then taken away in a van, according to a report in the The Daily Record.

According to the report, the 34-year-old gator’s license expired in 2021 and was never renewed. However, according to the DEC, the animal was also taken because Cavallaro allowed other people to not only pet the reptile, but get into the pool Cavallaro built his pet inside his home.

The DEC said that’s a no-no and that the gator should be removed because it violated a policy for keeping animals classified as dangerous.

The 64-year-old Cavallaro, however, insists his pet his harmless.

“He’s just a big baby,” Cavallaro told the Daily Record earlier this week as he shared photographs of Albert biting a stuffed alligator in its teeth while resting his chin on several pillows. The owner, it should be noted, said Albert has never been aggressive toward people or animals.

Incredibly, an online petition was created in an effort to help Cavallaro get his pet back and a whopping 120,000 people have already signed it. “Free Albert” T-shirts and buttons have also been made and Cavallaro, meanwhile, has hired an attorney as he’s willing to pull out all stops to get something he considers family back.

Renewing the license to keep Albert became a…