The Portage County Humane Society is used to dealing with the occasional stray pet, but when the group got word that an alligator was on the loose, they knew they had a new challenge on their hands.

It was a call they hadn't gotten before.

The caller said there was a 3 1/2-foot-long alligator in a ditch.

At first they thought she was joking, but quickly realized it was a legitimate complaint.

Neighbors say they were concerned about the exotic reptile on the loose, especially when they heard it had been loose for more than a week.

The man who owned the animal had quite a collection - an 8 1/2-foot-long alligator, the smaller alligator and nine snakes - four of which were poisonous.

Even more concerning, the alligators' pen was made from just thin chicken wire.

Neighbors say the owner of the pets packed up and disappeared less then a week later.

But the Humane Society says that while the owner of the pets was asked to secure the potentially dangerous animals, he was not breaking the law, as there is no ordinance about exotic pets in the county.

However, there is one in place in the city of Stevens Point where just days ago the Humane Society got a second call about a different alligator, this time in captivity.

They gave that owner seven days to get rid of the pet, thanks to the city ordinance banning exotic reptiles.

The neighbor that made the call about the loose alligator says she hopes the entire county considers such a ban.

As for areas where the pets are not banned, employees of the humane society say all they can do is be prepared... even for alligators.

The Humane Society asks anyone who sees an animal that is loose or may be dangerous to contact their Humane Society or local sheriff's department.