The DEC is appealing a court ruling that favored Albert’s owner, Tony Cavallaro, in his battle to bring the 750-pound reptile back home to Hamburg.
Last year the DEC seized Albert, claiming Cavallaro didn’t have a valid permit. A judge ruled in February that New York State must process Cavallaro’s renewal application for a Dangerous Animal License within 30-days.
This decision comes after the court found that the state made an error in denying his original application.
Now, with the state pushing back, the case heads to a higher court. -Albert, who weighs 750-pounds, was taken by DEC officers back in March, and the fight to get him back intrigued people in Western New York and nationwide. Albert is currently at a sanctuary in Beaumont, Texas, and will have to stay there until the state processes the new application.