Man is turned away from Phillies MLB game after trying to bring his 5-foot-long ’emotional support alligator’ to the ballpark
- Joseph Henney’s alligator Wally was denied entry to the Phillies game
- But Henney has brought his pet to a variety of other public places before
- DailyMail.com provides all the latest international sports news
The Phillies beat the Pirates 7-6 on Wednesday night but it was a disappointing evening for one fan as his ’emotional support alligator’ was not allowed in.
The fan, Joseph Henney, adopted the pet in 2015 and told the AP that it helps him deal with his depression.
Nonetheless, his five-foot long gator Wally was denied entry into Citizens Bank Park as he donned a red emotional support vest.
Wally still made quite the impression despite not making it into the game, as fans petted and hugged the reptile outside of the stadium.
As noted by USA Today, the Phillies hosted animals during a ‘Bark at the Park’ night on May 23, but the club’s ballpark policy apparently prohibits alligators.
Joseph Henney is seen with his gator Wally on Wednesday outside the Phillies game
Wally was hugged and petted by fans outside Citizens Bank Park prior to the contest
‘Certified service dogs or service dogs in training for guests with special needs are welcome,’ it reads. ‘All other animals are prohibited.’
Wally has had better luck at other stadiums, as he’s reportedly been allowed into minor league games.
He’s even been brought by Henney to splash parks, drive-throughs and a wedding, as he detailed when the pair was featured on CBS Evening News last year.
‘I’ll get lonely and stuff… he seems to sense that stuff,’ Henney told CBS. ‘He’ll come up and give me a hug. Makes me feel loved.’
The creature is also something of an online celebrity, with an account set up by Henney for his pet on TikTok garnering 110k followers and nearly one million likes.
An Instagram account for Wally also has over 25k followers.
Source: Read Full Article
