I receive a call about an abandoned alligator in the basement of a house on the west side of Columbus around 2:30pm (9/14/2010). This is typical, especially considering the area.  The overwhelming majority of West-siders are meth addicts, drunks, and just all around low life scum. Police are called to that area more than they are called to any other part of Columbus. I get to the house and I'm greeted by two officers, and two contractors that were apparently hired to renovate this house, as I take it, it was abandoned and the lease/mortgage was just walked away from.  The contractors there were simply assessing damage done to the house, and estimating what the work-load would be.

The contractors warn me that the place is filthy, and offer me some long rubber gloves before touching anything in the household. Immediately walking in, the place smells like mold and is excessively dusty.  The couches were left among some boxes, and various other furniture. Apparently, they moved out in a hurry. They escort me downstairs, where upon opening the door leading to the basement, you immediately get the smell of ammonia and rotting flesh. In fact, that's exactly what was going on. 

They show me to a stock tub that had thick, filthy, slimy water about 2" deep, housing one live (barely) alligator, and the carcass of another alligator. Both specimens each about 3' in length. The dead alligator's flesh was rotting away quickly, maggots were crawling on the carcass, flies were buzzing all over the place.  The Alligator that was barely alive, was simply that...just awaiting his own death.  He was thin, emaciated, eyes sunken in and maggots were crawling around on them. Skin on this particular animal was practically rotting off itself. The animal had no strength to move, and had to rest his head on the carcass of the other alligator to hold his head up to prevent drowning in the slimy filth he was forced to stay in. This tub had no basking option, or ability to escape the water.  They were simply stuck in there to rot. 

The alligator whistling and blowing bubbles from his nostrils as he was making attempts to breathe...hardly any life in him left, whatsoever. There was simply nothing I could do for this animal, beyond arrange the inevitable a little sooner for him.  This was by far the kindest thing that any human could do for this animal at this point.  The officers with me only had .45 Cal handguns and 12 Gauge shotguns and both were far too powerful for the size of the animals in question. Further, we were within city limits and discharging that high power of a firearm without just reasoning could cause some problems.  I contacted a Division of Wildlife officer that I've worked with in the past and he dispatched another officer that was close to my area to the house with a .22 cal rifle to end his suffering.  

The carcasses were bagged up in construction style trash bags (graciously offered by the construction crew on-site) and taken to the Ohio Wildlife Center for proper disposal.  

American Alligators are sold at alarming rates as "casual pets". These animals are anything but. They all too often outgrow their welcome in northern homes, as the cost of proper housing an adult or even subadult specimen is far too demanding for most.  Further, at typical pet store prices, they are cheap, disposable, and quickly forgotten about.  Please do you research and be HONEST with yourself, before attempting to purchase such an animal.