Wally, The Emotional Support ALLIGATOR

CrazyKittyLvr2 · ‎05-11-2013

Wally is 5 ft. long and from what I read belongs to an older man with cancer.

A young girl had him on a leash at LOVE park in Philly walking along.

People were petting him and holding him. Declared him a snuggle bunny. They said he seems docile and happy.

It. Is. An. Alligator. Wild. Animal. I don't think alligators know happy.

Wait until docile Wally wakes up some morning and remembers he's an alliagtor.

Of all the animals in the world, an alligator. I do not understand people.

Franklinbell · ‎01-04-2015

@CrazyKittyLvr2 ok, I just got nothing to say....

Buffalogal47 · ‎07-14-2010

Just goes to show that some people really are too stupid to live. There used to be a show on NatGeo called "Fatal Attractions" featuring people who had exotic, dangerous animals as pets. Every episode did not end well for the people.

chickenbutt · ‎03-09-2010

I saw a video on this, early this morning. Pretty cool, actually.

Wally is really special and very sweet. He's well known locally, from what I saw, and he will take him (on leash) to the mall and such. People will hug him. Heck, I would!

He even showed the paperwork that he actually got him registered as a support animal. A lot of that is silly, I know. But I guess this man really has done so much better since he's had Wally. Well, whatever works!

Actually, he and his wife have a number of reptiles.

Kachina624 · ‎03-10-2010

The concept of a reptile as an emotional support animal is so riduculous, it doesn't even deserve consideration. Anyone depending on an animal of any kind for emotional support needs to go shopping for a teddy bear. In most cases its the modern excuse to get your pet into a place where it wouldn't normally be allow, or get it in free.

New Mexico☀️Land Of Enchantment

CrazyKittyLvr2 · ‎05-11-2013

@chickenbutt Yeah, it is all smiles and giggles unless Wally's natural instincts kick in and takes off a hand or worse.

There are millions of cats and dogs in shelters that would love a good home, rabbits, birds (some are just gorgeous), even small farm animals, goats, lambs etc. Cute and not deadly.

Lucky Charm · ‎03-09-2010

Dumb idea. Taking an alligator out in public, the girl walking it was just a child. Would she have been able to chase after it if it got loose. What if it bit someone?

If the man needs a support alligator, fine, keep it contained. I don't want to see it around where I might be or my loved ones.

Remember the little boy in Disney? Tragic. Alligators don't have the sense that it was clamping down on a little child.

Again. Dumb.

BlueFinch · ‎08-31-2019

Alligators are smarter than people think. They even use little tricks and tools to manipulate prey. Mostly, all we see is a huge jaw and teeth, which is enough for most of us, including me.

But, on some occasions, they have been known to form a strong bond with a particular human, even in the wild, coming to them to visit for years on end with no aggressive behaviors.

In the wild, they are very loyal beasts. The females are known to stay with their partners for many years. They'll fight to the death to protect their young. It's clear they process more than we think and that their loyalty could possibly extend to others. Even a human.

Like with all creatures, there are softer temperaments. Even with our dogs and cats that we adore. So, I can see how Wally could be a rare (one out of thousands) specimen that offers rewards in service duties for his friend.

If he wants to take the risk that Wally won't attack, that's fine. It's not okay to place anyone else in harm's way, though. For the moment, he is Wally's trusted person, someone else might not be.