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PATRIOT-NEWS (Harrisburg, Pennsylvania) 03 July 07 Alligators found in Dauphin County home (Carrie Cassidy)
Little Girl and Chuck have been living in the basement of a home in Susquehanna Twp., Dauphin County, but authorities say they don't belong there.
That's because Little Girl is a 6-foot alligator and Chuck is an 8-foot alligator. They were discovered this morning by a water company employee who went inside the home in the 3600 block of North Sixth Street to check the meter, authorities said.
Because the township's ordinance prohibits residents from housing anything other than domesticated animals, Brandon Barre and his girlfriend, Amanda Fansler, must find a new home for the alligators. It's a task that's easier said than done, the couple says.
Few people are allowed to or able to take in in the reptiles. Setting the alligators in what would be their natural habitat is also out of the question because both were born in captivity.
Authorities are giving the couple some time to find a home for the alligators. The couple asks that anyone who is capable of taking in the reptiles to call Barre at 717-319-7738.
Little Girl and Chuck have not posed a threat to the couple's neighbors, authorities say. They have been living in a fenced-in pond made in the home's basement. A lock also has been on the basement doors leading to the home's exterior, Barre said.
Alligators found in Dauphin County home

PATRIOT-NEWS (Harrisburg, Pennsylvania) 04 July 07 Gator Aid - Animal lover, officials seek new home for 2 reptiles (Carrie Cassidy)
Brandon Barre said he took Chuck and Little Girl into his Susquehanna Twp. home as a favor to a friend who could no longer care for the 8-foot- and 6-foot-long alligators.
Without his help, the reptiles would have been homeless or suffered a fate much worse, said Barre, an animal lover who helps rescue abandoned and abused animals.
But township officials told Barre he violated an ordinance by housing them in his North Sixth Street home and said the critters have to go.
Barre wasn't cited for violating the law, but he and township officials are looking for a new home for the gators -- which they found is easier said than done.
"No one will take them, and I would feel irresponsible if I gave them to just anybody," Barre said. "There are very, very few people who can care for these animals."
Barre said the problem is made worse because alligators, which require specific care, are being sold to irresponsible and incapable people.
"We appreciate how much he cares for these animals, so we are going to work with him to have these animals removed," police Chief Rob Martin said.
"They're secured and they don't pose a threat to the neighborhood," Martin said. "The ultimate goal is to find these animals a good place to live."
While state law does not regulate where alligators and other exotic animals can be housed, many municipalities do have regulations.
Like Susquehanna, many boroughs and townships ban residents from housing anything other than domesticated animals. Some municipalities have implemented even stricter ordinances.
In May, North Lebanon Twp. supervisors approved changes to an ordinance making it illegal for wild animals to be sold to anyone under 18. Pet stores in the township also are required to register with police the number of exotic animals on their premises.
John Knouse, manager of Dave's Zoo in Swatara Twp., said the pet store has one alligator that people want to buy, but the owner refuses to sell it.
Alligators, he said, become costly because of how much they eat and how much room they require. The average person can't handle the responsibility, he said.
"Unfortunately, people think it's cool to have alligators," he said. "But then they start growing and people realize it's too much. And they realize it's an animal that can take your arm off if it wants to."
Chuck and Little Girl are not the only large reptiles found in and around the township in recent years.
Perhaps the most famous was Little Toni, a 30-inch alligator that was living in and around Italian Lake in 2003 before it was captured and sent to ZooAmerica North American Wildlife Park in early 2003.
Later that year, a 6-foot-long python was captured two streets over from where Barre lives. The 20-pound python was dropped off by its owner outside Barre's home, a shelter of sorts.
Firefighters captured the wayward snake and sent it to ZooAmerica.
Gator Aid