Authorities seized Albert, a 350kg alligator, from his home in New York.

(CNN) — An upstate New York man was forced to say goodbye to his unusual pet.

Environmental Protection Police officers seized a 10-foot, 800-pound pet alligator from a home in Hamburg on Wednesday. Facebook registration From the New York State Department of Environmental Protection.

Deputies said, “The homeowner built an addition to his home and installed a pond on the property for his approximately 30-year-old alligator, and allegedly allowed members of the public to enter the water to visit the alligator,” the post said. Facebook.

The giant's name is Albert, according to WKBW reportsA CNN affiliate.

“I'm Albert's father, that's all,” his owner Tony Cavalaro told WKBW. “It's like family for everyone.”

Cavallaro told WKBW that Albert's license for the franchise expires in 2021 and he has tried unsuccessfully to renew it with the Department of Environmental Protection.

Environmental protection officials seize an alligator from a home in Hamburg, New York on March 13, 2024. New York Department of Environmental Protection

The department told WKBW: “Even if the owner is properly licensed, public contact with the animal is prohibited and is grounds for revocation of the license and relocation of the animal.”

Environmental conservation officers worked with local police and the Erie County SPCA to capture the alligator, according to the Facebook post. The reptile suffers from a number of health problems, including “blindness in both eyes and spinal problems.”

Albert is now being cared for by a “licensed caregiver” until he is “appropriately transported for permanent care,” the department said.

“Analysis of additional evidence seized during the warrant and consultation with a licensed veterinarian will determine future charges,” the department said in the post.

Belong to any animal Classified as “dangerous animal”. (Includes Alligators) Illegal in New York unless owned Dangerous animal license Department of Environmental Protection. The license requires owners to have “facilities with adequate training, experience and necessary safeguards” for each dangerous animal they own.

The city of Hamburg is located in Erie County, New York, about 20 miles south of Buffalo.