During a routine wellness check in Detroit, police made an unusual discovery when they not only found a deceased resident but also a four-foot-long female alligator and a German shepherd who hadn't been fed for weeks. The homeowner's body was inside the east side home and foul play is not suspected at this time, with the cause of death yet to be determined by the medical examiner, as reported by CBS News Detroit.
This unexpected find prompted the officers to call Detroit Animal Care and Control, who subsequently took charge of the animals, and while they seemed to be okay despite the neglect the alligator named Izzy in the city was transferred to the Critchlow Alligator Sanctuary located in Athens, Michigan near Battle Creek, the authorities are concerned about residents harboring animals against city ordinances as they can pose dangerous threats to the public when they grow a sentiment echoed by Crystal Perkins, the city's General Services Department director, as per WWJ Newsradio.
It is not permitted for residents in Detroit to own alligators or certain other exotic animals because once they grow, they become too large for a regular home environment and may become a public safety concern, Perkins elaborated, "Once they grow, they grow out of your home, they become a danger not just to you but to others", according to FOX 2 Detroit.
