WESTFIELD – A Washington House resident must have been surprised to find a snake in her apartment earlier this week.
Ken Frazer, the director of the city’s animal control operations, said that on Tuesday “the woman went to move her trash and found a snake.”
He went on to say that the boa constrictor is young, “only three or four feet long”, and is “at least a year or two (old).”
The woman called the maintenance supervisor for the municipal housing authority apartment building for elderly and disabled residents and the responding worker put the snake in a bag.
Daniel Kelley, the director of the authority, said that small animals such as fish or gerbils are allowed at the authority’s properties but pets such as dogs and cats are not allowed in the high rise units.
However, he said that snakes are not considered household pets and emphatically said “We don’t allow boa constrictors.”
“If we find the owner, they have to answer to us” he said. “We never authorized anything like that.”
He said that he expects the discovery of a snake in an apartment “would be heart wrenching” and said that he was scared when he saw it and it had already been caught.
“I’m glad she’s (the resident) is all right and I’m glad we were able to confiscate it” he said.
Frazer said that, unlike dogs, possession of snakes is not regulated by the city and no license is required.
However, the snake will not be available for adoption once the statutory seven day waiting period for found property elapses he said.
Instead, Frazer said, the snake will go to a new home in Granville where Frazer knows a knowledgeable collector who will take it in.
