Clay Davenport
Cerebral Nomad
David and Dawn Hardwick of Avon thought they might be in trouble when Hendricks County Animal Control officers noticed a 22-pound snake in their garage.
So they killed the 4-foot African puff adder named Frank and put it in the freezer.
"We were going to polyurethane it and use it as a door stop," explained Dawn Hardwick.
Conservation officers with the Indiana Department of Natural Resources confiscated "Frank" and "D.T." -- a timber rattlesnake -- from the Hardwick home on Friday. Conservation officers plan to seek misdemeanor charges against Hardwick for illegal possession of a dangerous reptile.
Dawn Hardwick said the couple considered the animals pets.
"We raised them from worms," she said. "We were careful of them and kept them in the garage away from my step-daughter," who is now 14.
She named the rattler "D.T." for "don't touch," she said.
"Frank" was named because the puff adder has a marking that looks like Frankenstein on his head, she explained.
The snakes were discovered Nov. 19 when Mary Ann Lewis, the chief county animal control officer, came to the Hardwick property on a complaint about a dog. She noticed the adder, describing it as "awesome."
Lewis said "Frank" was beautiful, but she called conservation officers because she did not recognize the species.
Conservation Sgt. Matthew Day suspected it was a dangerous viper and obtained a search warrant to seek out and seize the snakes. But when he arrived at the Hardwick residence, he was too late.
"Frank" was in the freezer.
Despite the animal's death, conservation officers say it is still illegal to possess the reptile.
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Link to Story
So they killed the 4-foot African puff adder named Frank and put it in the freezer.
"We were going to polyurethane it and use it as a door stop," explained Dawn Hardwick.
Conservation officers with the Indiana Department of Natural Resources confiscated "Frank" and "D.T." -- a timber rattlesnake -- from the Hardwick home on Friday. Conservation officers plan to seek misdemeanor charges against Hardwick for illegal possession of a dangerous reptile.
Dawn Hardwick said the couple considered the animals pets.
"We raised them from worms," she said. "We were careful of them and kept them in the garage away from my step-daughter," who is now 14.
She named the rattler "D.T." for "don't touch," she said.
"Frank" was named because the puff adder has a marking that looks like Frankenstein on his head, she explained.
The snakes were discovered Nov. 19 when Mary Ann Lewis, the chief county animal control officer, came to the Hardwick property on a complaint about a dog. She noticed the adder, describing it as "awesome."
Lewis said "Frank" was beautiful, but she called conservation officers because she did not recognize the species.
Conservation Sgt. Matthew Day suspected it was a dangerous viper and obtained a search warrant to seek out and seize the snakes. But when he arrived at the Hardwick residence, he was too late.
"Frank" was in the freezer.
Despite the animal's death, conservation officers say it is still illegal to possess the reptile.
__________________________________________
Link to Story