An emotional support alligator named Wally was spotted by multiple people at Philadelphia’s LOVE Park.
The gator was seen making friends and enjoying water features at the park, as documented in several photos and videos that helped WallyGator make national headlines.
Wally loves being petted and hugged!!!
“We were just walking by LOVE Park and saw this kid playing with an alligator in the fountain,” Britt Miller told the Philly Voice news site. She documented Wally’s visit on Twitter.
“Of course, there were a ton of people around taking pictures. The girl [who had the alligator] seemed to be with her family, who were sitting off to the side. They were super friendly. People were picking up the alligator, petting it, all sorts of stuff.”
A video on Wally’s official TikTok shows him getting media attention while sitting on the lap of an older man, likely his owner Joie Henney. Posted for all the alligator’s more than 69,000 followers, the caption said “Wally enjoyed the day in Philadelphia!”
Henney lives nearby in the York, Pennsylvania area, and told USA Today He brought Wally to LOVE Park for a meet and greet with the public. Henney, who is battling cancer, has set up a GoFundMe page to help cover costs for Wally, and other reptiles Henny cares for at Forgotten Friend Reptile Sanctuary.
He has also entered Wally into America’s Favorite Pet Animal Kingdom, where individuals can vote on their favorite animal. The winning creature gets $10,000, and Wally is currently in first place in his category. His profile features a pic of the gator wearing sunglasses and says he “loves to give hugs!!!”
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