Dog and Alligator Didn’t Eat for Weeks after Michigan Owner Died in Their Home

It's always sad to learn about pets that were more-or-less abandoned in their home after their owners died. Sometimes you hear some pretty gruesome stories about the aftermath, and other times, you just feel sad for the person's family, and their pets that now have to be re-homed or adopted.

Well, that was the case at a Michigan Home, when the owner was discovered deceased, and now officials must find new homes for his dog... and pet alligator?

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Detroit officials were sent to a home to provide a wellness check on an individual who hadn't been seen or heard from in quite some time. When they entered the home, the discovered that the homeowner had died, seemingly of natural causes.

But what they also discovered was the owner's two pets, who apparently hadn't eaten in weeks - one dog, whose name and breed weren't disclosed, and a four-foot female alligator that the city had dubbed "Izzy."

Police don't believe foul play was involved in the owner's death, and we believe the dog was turned over to either family, or a shelter for re-homing after a trip to the vet. The Alligator, though, is a different story.

"Izzy" is headed to Athens, Michigan, to the Critchlow Alligator Sanctuary, where she will join dozens of other alligators who have been discovered either illegally, or oddly living in the wild in Michigan and surrounding area.

Are Alligators Common in Michigan?

Strangely enough, alligators seem to keep popping up in Michigan, at least once or twice a year. Earlier this year, one was spotted in Kent Lake that scared many residents over there. Back in 2022, an entire family of alligators was taken from a home during an eviction notice, multiple people have claimed to see alligators in Lake Michigan.

People also reportedly saw an alligator in the Kalamazoo River in 2023, and Kalamazoo authorities captured a small one crossing the road in 2022 as well.

So needless to say, the Critchlow Alligator Sanctuary in Athens has been busy for the past couple years.

For the record, it is VERY illegal to own alligators in Michigan, so... stop it. Let them live out their best life in the south where it's warm and humid,a nd there's plenty of Florida Men for them to chomp on.