Vero Beach Police animal control officer Bruce Dangerfield said the Sheriff's Office called him at 2 a.m. Thursday to request his help capturing a large python seen heading south on Old Dixie Highway toward Fort Pierce, Fla., the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reported Friday.

However, he said he arrived on the scene to find not a python, but a 10-foot-long red-tailed boa constrictor that he caught and secured in his van. He said the large snake was likely a pet that was released outdoors by its owner after it became too large to care for.

"I think it's a case where someone got it as a pet, but it got too big," Dangerfield said.

"There is a real problem here with having them as pets," he said. "They can kill someone's cat or dog very easily."

Dangerfield said he will hold the boa in his custody for five days to allow its owner time to claim it. If the owner is not located, Dangerfield said he will attempt to find the snake a new home.