Pet 'Boa' TIE Fighter Makes Its Way to Neighbor's Basement, Drives Homeowner Away

TIE Fighter, a pet "boa," managed to get into a neighbor's basement, which forced the homeowner to grab her children and leave the house.

After discovering a snake in their shared basement on Stoddard Avenue in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, Tiffany Hawkins posted on social media.

She invited anyone who had misplaced their pet boa to visit her home and retrieve it by posting on social media. She later claimed that she was traumatized for life and needed a new home.

(Photo : Mustafa Ozer / Getty Images)
A pet corn snake, which a traumatized homeowner thought was a boa, was seen slithering in and out of a Massachusetts home basement.

The Trespassing 'Boa' Constrictor and a Traumatized Homeowner

For the past eight days, Hawkins has faced a snake dilemma in her 129 Stoddard Ave. duplex basement.

The bright orange slithery intruder left her perplexed.

She resorted to online remedies like mothballs and lowering the heat to evict it, but nothing worked.

Calling the Pittsfield Police Department and local animal services proved futile due to a lack of resources.

With limited information, her fears grew, suspecting it was a boa constrictor, possibly someone's escaped pet, causing her to envision a massive problem if left unchecked.

The sighting forced her and her children to flee their home, where they haven't returned since.

Not Boa but a Baby Corn Snake

On Monday night, the cavalry arrived in the form of reptile enthusiasts Kelsey Robitaille and Eileen Conway.

These two kind-hearted individuals responded to a Facebook post seeking help in finding and safely retrieving a missing snake.

Despite lacking professional expertise, they stepped up to the challenge of the scarcity of reptile experts in Western Massachusetts.

Conway humorously referred to herself as a "friendly neighborhood witch" with snakes at home, while Robitaille's passion for reptiles stemmed from more than a decade of ownership and volunteering at a now-closed reptile rescue.

Upon their arrival at Hawkins' house, Robitaille identified the snake as a corn snake from its shed skin.

This confirmed that it was likely an escaped pet, as corn snakes and ball pythons are commonly kept as pets.

Conway joined the search, sharing her knowledge gained from dealing with her own escaped snake.

Together, they worked tirelessly to remove potentially harmful glue traps and set up baskets to safely capture the snake. Conway even procured mice as bait, a good strategy for nighttime capture.

Conway reassured Hawkins and her family that the snake was harmless and not venomous, likening its bite to that of a kitten.

The tenants had endured more than a week of anxiety since the snake's appearance in the basement, but finally, Hawkins could sleep in her home again.

Altough she hadn't seen the snake in person and remained fearful of that encounter, the presence of compassionate volunteers like Robitaille and Conway provided some much-needed relief to Hawkins and her neighbors who had endured sleepless nights.

Also Read: 20,000 Invasive Burmese Pythons Removed From Everglades by 11,000 Contractors Since 2006: Are We Making Headway? 

Rescue Party

On Monday night, an unexpected twist occurred when the snake's owner, Amanda Sprouse, who lives nearby, learned of the Facebook posts and joined the rescue mission.

Her 12-year-old son Kingston's snake, named TIE Fighter after "Star Wars," had gone missing three months earlier due to a kitten knocking over its tank.

Now, the frustration shifted to knowing TIE Fighter's whereabouts but struggling to retrieve him.

Kingston also joined the search effort that night, impressing Hawkins with his dedication.

As of Tuesday night, the team continued their efforts to locate and return TIE Fighter home.

Conway emphasized the importance of not fearing reptiles due to misunderstanding and appearance.

Snakes, she explained, are sentient creatures capable of feeling pain and fear, despite misconceptions shaped by human judgments.

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