The owners of an illegal 8-foot alligator seized in Los Angeles this week are being accused of feeding it stray cats — despite their claims that the “docile” beast was hand-fed “hot dogs and chicken” for decades.
Most people living on Sylvan Street in Van Nuys were well aware of the 37-year-old pet predator that’s been living in Laura Mattson’s backyard for 36 years, KABC-TV in Los Angeles reports.
But an irked neighbor finally became fed up and called animal control officers last year and they confiscated the reptile on Monday.
“They’re making statements they shouldn’t be making because nobody’s feeding cats to the alligator,” explained Mattson’s brother Ron Gorecki. “We got plenty of money to feed whatever we have to feed.”
Since the gator, dubbed Jaxson, was discovered alongside the decomposed remains of two cats, authorities believed it had been living off a diet of feral felines, according to KABC-TV.
Mattson and Gorecki are now facing citations for maintaining a wild animal without proper care and maintenance and without proper permits. They could face further charges as well, authorities said.
In spite of the allegations, Mattson claims her beloved Jaxson “wouldn’t hurt a fly.”
“She was so docile, she would let rats eat the hot dogs out of her mouth,” Mattson told NBC Los Angeles.
Locals say there has been a huge stray cat problem in the neighborhood recently and Mattson was known to take the animals in, KABC-TV reported .
Just to prove how laid-back and well-behaved her pet gator really is, Mattson snapped a picture of Jaxson relaxing next to a pair of adorable kittens — with one of the cats even lounging against her.
“I understand now it’s not legal, but when it becomes a pet, it becomes your family,” Gorecki explained. “When it becomes your family, you protect the pet and the people involved. That’s all there is to it.”
Los Angeles Zoo officials helped impound and move the alligator to their facilities, according to ABC.
Officials are asking neighbors if anyone may have lost any small pets over the years.
“It’s like having a lion or a chimpanzee or anything,” a neighbor told NBC. “You can’t have wild animals — they will eat you.”