The Philadelphia Phillies said “see ya later” to a fan who tried to enter the park with his “emotional support alligator” on a leash on Wednesday.
According to Fox News, the alligator is named “WallyGator” and is owned by Jonestown, Pennsylvania, resident Joie Henney.
Fox cited an Instagram post showing the gator in front of Citizens Bank Park.
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It also appears that the gator is a scaly social media star with an Instagram following of more than 100,000 fans.
Sports Radio 94’s Howard Eskin was a bit shocked by the attempt to get WallyGator into the park, though.
Are you kidding me. A #Phillies fan tried to come into game tonight with what they said was a “service animal.” An Alligator! Yes an Alligator. Thing’s I’ve never seen. This is it. @SportsRadioWIP pic.twitter.com/H7A0FM0IYC
— Howard Eskin (@howardeskin) September 27, 2023
Wally’s owner claims the gator is a “licensed emotional support animal.”
Henney claims that the reptile offers comfort to him during his fight against cancer.
Henney told Philly.com that his doctor approved using WallyGator as an emotional support animal because Henney did not want to go on medication for depression.
A girl walked through with an alligator on a leash at a park in Philadelphia, according to the Philly Voice, and the alligator is an emotional-support animal named Wally that was adopted back in 2016 pic.twitter.com/2NMlI8qUvc
— No Jumper (@nojumper) August 27, 2022
This is not the first time that Wally has made the news. Last year, CBS News featured the reptile in a news report in which Henney says he found Wally in a pond in Florida when the creature was small and took him home to Pennsylvania.
“I’ve never met an alligator that will not bite you,” Henney said, praising his beloved gator. “You fool around [with their head], their instinct is to grab you. He does not do it. You can reach in there and rub his tongue. He refuses to close his mouth. We don’t know why.”
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