Wally, a 5-foot alligator, is a rescue. At nearly 4 years old, this cold-blooded reptile could grow as long as 16 feet at full maturity. Wally spends his days eating chicken wings from his indoor plastic pond with another rescue alligator named Scrappy.
Let’s put aside for a moment that both animals are wild, dangerous and could do serious damage to humans without warning.
Recently, the gator’s owner, Joie Henney obtained a note from his doctor making Wally officially his emotional support animal. It’s probably important to note that Henney does have a history with reptiles and other similar animals. He was the host of the ESPN show, “Joie Henney’s Outdoors” for over a decade.
While that may speak to Henney’s unique affinity for gators, and according to Henney, why the creatures are said to help him fight depression, the official status begs the question of public safety.
