Not everyone — or every animal — can be taken out to the ballgame.
Wally, a viral emotional support alligator, and his owner Joie Henney were denied entrance into Citizens Bank Stadium, home of the Philadelphia Phillies, to watch their game on Wednesday night.
Howard Eskin/X
Social media posts on X and Instagram show the reptilian companiondonning a red vest and leashthat reads “Emotional Support Animal,” along with the creature’s name.
“A#Philliesfan tried to come into game tonight with what they said was a ‘service animal.‘An Alligator! Yes an Alligator,” talk show host Howard Eskin posted on X. “Things I’ve never seen. This is it."
Wally has amassed over 100,000 followers onTikTokand over 27,000 followers onInstagramover the years.
However, no amount of followers could let this alligator in Citizens Bank Park. The stadium’s policy states that only “guide dogs, service animals or service animals in training are welcome” and “all other animals are prohibited,” thus excluding Wally both as an “emotional support animal” and as an alligator.
Despite the reptile and his owner being relegated to stay outside the stadium, other photos on Instagramshowed the rejected Wallygetting some love hugs from other Phillies fans.
This isn’t the first time Wally made headlines in the city or was spotted making friends. The friendly gator was photographedout and about in Philadelphia’s LOVE Parklast year in August.
Citizen’s Bank Park in Philadelphia photographed in 2020.Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty
Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty
Henney, who is no stranger to taming wild animals having previously been a bull rider, toldCBS Newsthat the reptile had helped improve his mood after he had fallen into a deep depression after losing the people closest to him.
“I’ll get lonely and stuff like that and he seems to sense that stuff and he’ll come up and he’ll give me a hug,” the alligator owner told the outlet.
This observation prompted Henney to seek “emotional support animal” status for Wally, and in December 2018, he was successful.
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But for all of Henney’s belief in the alligator’s calming powers, the owner also stresses during his visits that it’s not usually safe to keep that particular kind of reptile as a pet because they are, at the end of the day, wild animals.
“They aren’t for everyone,” Henney quipped to theRecord. “But what can I say? I’m not normal.”
source: people.com
