Joie Henney, a man from Pennsylvania, attributes his emotional support alligator named Wally with helping alleviate his depression for almost ten years. Now, he’s desperately searching for Wally after the reptile disappeared during a vacation to the Georgia coast.
Joie Henney has garnered a substantial social media following with his pages dedicated to Wally, the reptilian companion he affectionately refers to as his emotional support alligator.
Online, people can be seen petting the 5 1/2-foot (1.7 meter) alligator as if it were a dog or embracing it like a teddy bear. Wally’s fame reached new levels last year when he was denied entry to a Philadelphia Phillies game.
Joie Henney is deeply distressed since Wally disappeared during their April vacation in Brunswick, Georgia—a port city located 70 miles (112 kilometers) south of Savannah. Henney believes that someone may have stolen Wally from the fenced outdoor enclosure where the alligator spent the night on April 21.
According to Henney’s social media updates, mischievous individuals left Wally outside the residence of a concerned person who subsequently contacted the authorities. As a consequence, Wally was captured and eventually released back into the wild.
🆘EMOTIONAL SUPPORT ALLIGATOR STOLEN!
A Pennsylvania man is facing slim odds as he searches for his stolen emotional support alligator, Wally, who was taken during a visit to friends in Brunswick, Georgia.
Joie Henney said that Wally was kept in an enclosure at the home he was… pic.twitter.com/1aG6CuDAkW
— Christina Pushaw 🐊 🇺🇸 (@ChristinaPushaw) May 1, 2024
“We need all the help we can get to bring my baby back,” Henney said in a tearful video posted on TikTok. “Please, we need your help.”
Joie Henney declined to engage in conversation when contacted by The Associated Press via phone on Wednesday morning. He did not promptly respond to subsequent messages.
Joie Henney, the owner of Wally, an emotional support alligator from Jonestown, Pennsylvania, recently reported that Wally was allegedly stolen in Georgia over the weekend. According to Henney, the alligator was taken out of an enclosure in Brunswick, Georgia while they were visiting friends.
In an emotional TikTok video, Henney pleaded for help to bring his beloved alligator back. Wally’s popularity has soared in recent years, and he has become an internet celebrity. Henney explained that Wally never bites anyone and has been instrumental in helping him battle depression.
Interestingly, in 2022, Wally went viral on social media after being spotted swimming in Philadelphia’s LOVE Park. Despite his fame, Wally faced a setback when he was denied entry to a Phillies game due to Citizens Bank Park’s policy on support animals.
“He has never tried to bite no one,” Henney told the newspaper.
As of now, there have been no official police reports regarding the disappearance of the alligator in Brunswick and the nearby Glynn County. Both the city and county police departments have confirmed this information.
On April 21, an individual in the Brunswick area reported a nuisance alligator, coinciding with the day Henney claimed Wally went missing. In response, a licensed trapper was dispatched to capture the gator.
The Georgia Department of Natural Resources clarified that the reptile was subsequently “released in a remote location,” but they cannot confirm whether it was indeed Wally.
On April 21, an individual in the Brunswick area reported a nuisance alligator, coinciding with the day Henney claimed Wally went missing. In response, a licensed trapper was dispatched to capture the gator.
The Georgia Department of Natural Resources clarified that the reptile was subsequently “released in a remote location,” but they cannot confirm whether it was indeed Wally.
In Georgia, it is against the law for individuals to keep alligators without a special license or permit. The state’s Department of Natural Resources explicitly does not issue permits for pet alligators.
On the other hand, Pennsylvania lacks a state law specifically prohibiting alligator ownership, but it remains illegal for owners to release these reptiles into the wild, as outlined by the Fish and Boat Commission.
David Mixon, a wildlife biologist and coastal supervisor at the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, has extensive experience dealing with alligators found in residential yards and swimming pools.
Additionally, he has conducted educational presentations about captive gators for school groups and Boy Scout troops.
According to David Mixon, a wildlife biologist and coastal supervisor at the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, even seemingly docile alligators can pose a threat. As a precaution, he ensures their mouths are securely closed using either his hand or, ideally, a band.
“They’re unpredictable, and they’re often reactive to stimulus,” Mixon said. “There’s lots of videos and pictures where people handle gators, and they do it without getting hurt. But the more time you spend around them, the more likely you are to be injured.”
In Florida, which is home to approximately 1.3 million alligators, state wildlife authorities have documented over 450 instances of unprovoked alligator attacks on humans since 1948. Among these incidents, more than 90 gator bites have occurred since 2014, resulting in six fatalities.
According to Lori Kogan, a psychologist and professor at Colorado State University who specializes in human-animal interactions, individuals in regions where alligator ownership is permitted may designate them as emotional support animals.
Emotional support animals, unlike service animals that assist individuals with disabilities like blindness or post-traumatic stress, do not undergo specialized training.
Additionally, there is no official registry for emotional support animals. However, health professionals frequently provide letters of endorsement for owners who have a diagnosed mental health condition.
“People can get very attached to a variety of animals,” Kogan said. “Can you get attached to a reptile? Can it bring you comfort? I would say yes. Me personally? No.”
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