Abandoned alligators rescued from vacant Pittsburgh home

May 4 (UPI) -- Animal Control officers responded to a vacant Pittsburgh home to rescue an unusual pair of abandoned pets -- alligators.

Pittsburgh Public Safety said Animal Control officers were called to a home in the Hays neighborhood Wednesday after the house's landlord discovered their recently evicted tenants had left their reptiles behind.

"Apparently, a tenant was evicted and left these two pets behind. The landlord had contacted our officers to come and remove them from the residence," Public Safety Public Information Officer Emily Schaffer told KDKA-TV.

The alligators were taken to Humane Animal Rescue, where officials said the reptiles weren't the first members of their species to show up.

"One day its alligators, the next day it's 150 birds, so it's never a dull moment here," CEO Dan Rossi said.

The alligators are estimated to be between 1 and 5 years old.

"We're an open-door shelter, so of course we take any animal in need. They are in need so we will house them, we'll evaluate them. We're not exactly sure if the owners are looking for them so they may have the opportunity to come back and reclaim them," Rossi added.

"It is legal to own them in a state of Pennsylvania, so we may adopt them out. We may transport them to another state and release them if that's another appropriate decision," Rossi told WPXI-TV.