5-year-old alligator rescued from Fort Wayne owner gets a new home

5-year-old alligator rescued from Fort Wayne owner gets a new home
Updated: May. 23, 2023 at 8:00 PM EDT

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WPTA) - It’s a call animal control would expect to get in Fort Lauderdale, not Fort Wayne.

Fort Wayne Animal Care and Control (FWACC) was called to a home in the city last week to take in a 5-year-old alligator.

“The owner had been trying to rehome it for a couple of weeks now. The spouse of the owner ended up calling us to come pick it up,” Abagail Reyes with FWACC told 21Alive News.

Measuring out to five-feet long, the gator was becoming too large for the owners to keep as a house pet. We are told they were able to relocate the rescued alligator to a sanctuary, where he picked up a new name: “Waffles.”

While it is not common for FWACC to receive service calls relating to alligators, Reyes said that officers receive prior training in dealing with all types of animals.

“Animal care officers that were on scene actually have their certification on how to handle situations like this. So, they already knew their procedures and their training just really kicked in.”

Having an alligator as a pet is legal in Indiana, although wishful owners must purchase a permit. But animal control leaders have a warning before you start crawling to bring one home yourself.

“So even though it is legal in the state of Indiana with your permit to own an alligator, if you’re living within city limits, you’re not allowed,” Reyes said. “Just like we’re not allowed to have livestock animals or even exotic animals as pets within city limits; same with alligators.”