Emotional support alligator denied entrance to Phillies-Pirates matchup meets Gritty at Flyers game
PHILADELPHIA (KDKA) -- An emotional support alligator denied entrance to a Phillies-Pirates game finally got his chance to go to a sporting event -- and he even had some one-on-one time with the Flyers' mascot Gritty.
Wally is a working emotional support alligator owned by Joie Henney of Pennsylvania. The alligator already has a big presence on Instagram and TikTok, and he went viral after he wasn't allowed into Citizens Bank Park to watch the Phillies host the Pirates last month.
He had better luck not too far away at Wells Fargo Center where the Flyers, Gritty in particular, gave him a warm welcome on Monday.
Gritty held up Wally during the "Lion King Cam" and posed for plenty of pictures with the alligator. A montage posted to Gritty's social media shows him dancing around with Wally, petting him and even giving him a kiss. He also posted a Steve Irwin-inspired photoshoot with Wally for Halloween, calling the gator a "v good boi."
Talking to CBS News last year, Henney said his bond with Wally is "very special." Wally was found in a pond in Disney World, and since it's illegal in Florida to relocate alligators to another spot in the wild, Henney said he agreed to take him in.
Henney said he fell into a deep depression after losing some people close to him. Around the same time, Wally stepped up and became more affectionate, like he was sensing Henney's needs.
"I'd lay on the couch, and I'd wake up and he'd be laying on my head," Henney told CBS News. "And I knew it was for a long period of time because I had his whole jaw print on my face."
Henney said he started talking Wally everywhere, from the doctor's office to the drive-thru. He said his depression has improved, thanks to Wally.
"I'll get lonely and stuff like that and he seems to sense that stuff and he'll come up and he'll give me a hug," Henney said, adding that Wally "makes me feel loved."
