Why thousands signed a petition to return a pet alligator to its owner

Tony Cavallaro, who lives in upstate New York, his 800-pound alligator Albert his son and had him since 1990.

Thousands have signed a petition asking the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) to return an 800-pound alligator named Albert to its owner. 

Tony Cavallaro, who lives in upstate New York, got Albert as a hatchling at a reptile show in 1990. He called the reptile, who grew to 11 feet, his son. 

But on Wednesday, the DEC swarmed his home, with the help of police and the SPCA Serving Erie County, taking the alligator into their custody and would not let Cavallaro say goodbye. 

“It was really upsetting how it was handled,” said next-door neighbor Laura Lautner. “They loaded Albert on the back of a cargo van, and just laid him there.”

Cavallaro previously had a permit for Albert, but it expired in 2021 and was not renewed. However, Cavallaro said he tried to renew it with the DEC.