A Phillies fan was refused entry to a game after he tried to sneak his "emotional support" alligator into the venue - yeah, you read that right.
Now we've all heard about emotional support pets, right? But typically they're known to be household pets, like dogs, cats, or even birds but for Joie Henney, his source of comfort lies in a four-foot alligator named Wally.
It sort of makes sense since Henney spent 30 years of his life as a reptile rescuer but once his career came to a halt, he decided to get himself an emotional support pet in order to help him battle depression as well as cancer.
Unfortunately for the reptile and for its owner, both were rejected entry into Citizens Bank Park to watch the Philidelphia Phillies take on the Pittsburg Pirates in what was described to be a "nail-biting" game.
According to the official website for the Phillies' stadium, "Guide dogs, service animals, or service animals in training are welcome. All other animals are prohibited," which included Wally.
However, that doesn't mean the pair didn't enjoy themselves outside of the event surrounded by a bunch of other Phillies fans.
Wally, who was on a leash that was clasped firmly in Henney's hand, obviously grabbed the attention of others who stopped to take photos with him as well as pet the 'gator on the head before heading in to watch the game.
Speaking to CNN in an interview, the reptile rescuer stated that he had acquired Wally seven years ago after it was reported that there was "an overabundance of gators in [the] area," in Florida.
When the alligator, who was only a baby at the time, was removed from the lagoon, he was brought to Henney by a friend and thus started a special bond between man and 'gator.
"Wally has been quite different than any alligator I’ve ever dealt with in the past 30 years," he said. "He doesn’t show anger. He doesn’t show aggression. He hasn’t since the day he was caught. We never could understand why.
"He’s just loveable. He sleeps with me, steals my pillows, steals my blankets. He’s just awesome," Henney added.
In 2019, four years after the pair united, Henney was able to get Wally licensed as an emotional support animal to help him through his cancer treatments.
"I went through a real hard depression and he brought me out of it," Henney said in a previous interview. "My doctor wanted to give me anti-depression medicine and I refused to take it."
Henney claims alligators are easier to train than dogs and he isn't concerned about the possibility of Wally biting someone.
"Wally is the only gator I've ever been around that refuses to bite," he said. "It's mind-boggling - just hard to believe."
While this isn't the first time Wally's presence has been rejected from a venue, it was a difficult pill to swallow for the Phillies fan, but there's nothing he wouldn't do for his pet.
I mean, it's quite cute when you think about it, right?
Would you ever consider getting yourself an emotional support 'gator?
