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'Friendly' 3-foot Pet Alligator Seized from Iowa Home With Infant

By Stephanie Rabiner, Esq. on April 10, 2012 | Last updated on March 21, 2019

Pet alligators are nothing new over here on Legally Weird. They have a tendency to pop up from time to time. But this one? Well, it's a doozy.

Police in Des Moines, Iowa are currently investigating Colby Karaidos, a man accused of housing a 3-foot long alligator. Officers found the pet -- along with a dog and infant -- after being called to his home on an unrelated matter.

Could that matter have been Karaidos' recent drug arrest? Or perhaps his occupation?

Oh yeah, he's apparently a cage fighter that goes by the name 'Tha Alligator."

Colby Karaidos told officers he has a license for his pet namesake, but was unable to produce it at the time, reports the Des Moines Register. Josh Colvin of the Animal Rescue League of Iowa told the paper that the state doesn’t give out those licenses to just anyone. Licenses are reserved for those who operate a commercial, scientific or educational enterprise.

Maybe the pet alligator was Karaidos’ mascot?

Even if Tha Alligator has a license, chances are his reptile-owning days are gone forever. Photos indicate that the gator was allowed to wander free. With an infant in the house, this was hardly the safest move.

Granted, Colby Karaidos claims alligators are "friendly pets."

But maybe, for the sake of not attracting child services, he should stick to his other pet — the dog. It may not be a pet alligator, but its name is Gator. And according to Karaidos’ Myspace page, Gator is "no joke."

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