A Hurricane Katrina evacuee says FEMA has him stuck in a North Knoxville motel because they won't provide transportation for him or his two pet snakes.
Volunteer TV's Kim Bedford has more on this evacuees cry for help.
Wesly Woodward tells us these snakes are like his children. The problem is he's been living in a small motel room since September because he says CAC won't provide him housing with his snakes, and airlines won't allow them on. What makes Woodward's situation even worse is he has a house and job waiting for him in his hometown of Portland, Oregon.
"Unnecessary inconvenience because of two reptiles," Woodward said.
Woodward says he was forced out of a perfectly good apartment, flown to Knoxville, and has been hassled to get rid of his snakes ever since he got here.
"I said no. You're gonna have to either put me back on a plane or put me some place where I can keep them with me or you're gonna have to find housing for me," Woodward said.
Wesley says CAC tried to get him into Western Heights Apartments, but no snakes allowed...
"There was a message on my phone saying we cannot get you into housing because of your two reptiles," Woodward said.
Herman is an outgoing five foot Columbian Red-Tail Boa...
"He's just one big baby," Woodward said.
Ra is a four foot Ball Python, a little on the shy side...
"Ra was actually given to me right after Hurricane Katrina. His owner abandoned him," Woodward said.
Woodward says that's the last thing he'll do to these guys...
"Basically they're my kids," Woodward said. "They have their own personalities."
With two big snakes in a small motel room, you may think these guys make quite a mess, but Wesly says these guys are potty-trained.
"You see how his tail's cropped up? He's letting me know that he has to go out right now," Woodward said.
Clean and quiet, Woodward says no airline will allow Herman or Ra on a plane, keeping him from a house and a job in Oregon...
"I wanna be right back where I was before...working with a roof over my head," Woodward said.
Instead, he'll spend this Christmas in his motel room. Just him, Herman, and Ra.
"Hopefully they'll get their Christmas rat by then," Woodward said.
CAC brings Herman and Ra each a rat once a week. Woodward says he's getting started with a federal attorney to get him to Oregon. While we were there, the East Tennessee Community Service Agency called Woodward and told him they should have a flight for him and the snakes on the 29th, but Woodward says he's been told that twice within the last month because the airlines turn it down. Woodward says the hurricane itself didn't disrupt his life, but rather being caught up in this system...all because of his snakes.
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