A man was turned away from a Philadelphia Phillies baseball game last week when he tried to enter with his emotional support animal — which happened to be a 5-foot alligator.
According to 70-year-old Joseph Henney, the 70-pound creature, named WallyGator, is docile and "super sweet-natured" and even cuddles with him on the couch when they watch TV, as he told The Washington Post last year. And the little fella (relatively speaking) actually does seem adorable, with his red leash and calm-looking demeanor (see video below, posted by WallytheAlligator).
But understandably, the folks in charge of Citizens Bank Park didn't want to take any chances.
From HuffPost:
Henney told the Philadelphia Inquirer last year that Wally "likes to give hugs" and has helped him battle depression.
But things weren't so happy on Wednesday night when Henney tried to bring Wally inside the park, presumedly for peanuts and Cracker Jacks, and was turned down.
Although Wally has attended minor league games and Citizens Bank Park has hosted "Bark at the Park" events, the admission rules don't apply to alligators ― even ones that provide emotional support.
The stadium's policy on support animals only allows "certified service dogs or service dogs in training for guests with special needs" and states "all other animals are prohibited."
Front page thumbnail image: RICIfoto / Shutterstock.com
