NY man gives up the fight for his 12-foot emotional support pet alligator

He could no longer fight the scales of justice.

A New York man gave up the battle for his beloved pet alligator, whom he called his “emotional support animal.”

Tony Cavallaro of Hamburg had the 12-foot, 750-pound reptile he named Albert in an indoor swimming pool at his home for more than three decades.

After it was seized by Department of Environmental Conservation in March 2024, Cavallaro, 66, whose license to keep Albert had expired in 2021, sued the agency.

Albert, a pet alligator, was seized from his New York home in 2024. AP

Cavallaro’s recent decision to end the litigation came after a New York State Supreme Court justice ruled the state had 30 days to reconsider a renewed application, which was denied — meaning he would have to file another application with the court. 

After two years of legal bills, Cavallaro, who had gotten Albert at an Ohio reptile show when the animal was two months old, decided to end his battle.

“They were never going to give me this alligator back, and it was going to cost me a ton more money. Another year and a half — at least — of stress,” Cavallaro said.

His attorney, Peter Kooshoian, told WIVB 4 this week that his client is distraught.

“Tony’s upset,” he said.

“He had the animal for over 30 years — never had a problem until this occurred. So he doesn’t feel he was treated correctly by the government.”

Albert’s owner, Tony Cavallaro of Hamburg, gave up his fight to keep him. AP

Cavallaro, who insisted that the animal was harmless and called him “just a big baby,” allowed people to enter the pool and pet it, which breaks the rules for animals that are classified as dangerous.

So even if he had won back Albert — who now lives in a rehabilitation center in Texas — his care of the pet would have been highly regulated.

“The DEC would’ve been all over him in terms of observation, checking in, and requirements. Ultimately, it didn’t seem worth it at the end of the day,” Kooshoian told the outlet.

“We discussed all the options and likely outcomes, and we decided at that point after two years of litigation we didn’t want to continue to do this.”

With Wires