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4-foot snake found in box of donations at Virginia Goodwill

Anna Chen and Jeremy Tanner

STAFFORD COUNTY, Va. (WDCW) – Virginia authorities said a Goodwill employee recently discovered a 4-foot snake in a box of donated books.

“No snakes, employees, or deputies were harmed during the incident,” the Stafford County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO) said in a news release.


(Photo courtesy of the Stafford County Sheriff’s Office)

The captain of animal control responded to a Goodwill, located at 72 Doc Stone Road, after a 4-foot-long basilisk was found slithering in a box of donated books.

Stafford Sheriff officials couldn’t resist adding in a Harry Potter reference while explaining what happened to the “Slytherin Suspect.”

“Using his powers of persuasion, and a bit of Parseltongue” the captain was able to capture the snake and release it into the wild again, SCSO said.

It’s not clear how the reptile ended up in the box, but it goes without saying that live snakes are not accepted donations at the Virginia Goodwill, along with flammables, guns, old TVs, mattresses and broken furniture, among other items.