Watch A Girl Walk An Emotional Support Alligator On A Leash In A Philly Park

Video shows a young girl helping her 7-year-old reptile, Wally, cool off in Love Park in Philadelphia.
Don’t hug or pet this gator.
Don’t hug or pet this gator.
George Shelley via Getty Images

Kids trying to beat the Philadelphia heat got a glimpse of a little gator aid on Friday.

Video shows a young girl walking an alligator on a leash and playing in a series of water fountains in Love Park, CNN reports.

It is legal to own an alligator as a pet in Pennsylvania, CNN notes, but it’s against state law to release one into the wild.

The alligator, Wally, is a 7-year-old reptile, a TikTok star and a licensed emotional support animal, according to his social media accounts.

Wally — who likes to be pet and reportedly “loves to give hugs” — was adopted in 2016 by reptile enthusiast Joie Henney, Philly Voice reports. Henney, who is undergoing cancer treatments, has a GoFundMe page to help cover the cost of care for Wally and other scaly critters he looks after at his reptile rescue.

@wallythealligator

Wally loved spending the day in Love Park, Philadelphia !!#WallyGatorESA

♬ Good Time - Owl City & Carly Rae Jepsen

Wally is also apparently a hopeful contestant in “America’s Favorite Pet: Animal Kingdom,” an online competition for pets where the winner will receive $10,000 and be featured in a two-page In Touch Weekly spread.

Wally’s TikTok account features a ton of videos that show kids cuddling the gator, and Wally visiting restaurants and swimming pools.

Seriously, check out some of his videos below. We promise it’s not a complete crock.

Popular in the Community

Close

What's Hot