A guy tried to bring his emotional support alligator Wally to see a Philly baseball game

• A man in Philadelphia wasn't allowed to bring his emotional support alligator to a baseball game.
• Joie Henney has been taking care of the alligator, whose name is Wally, for the past seven years.

A man in Philadelphia wasn't allowed to bring his "emotional support alligator" to a Major League Baseball game.

Sports journalist Howard Eskin spotted the alligator outside Citizens Bank Park on Wednesday. The stadium was hosting a game between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Eskin snapped a photo and recounted the incident in a post on X, previously known as Twitter, on the same day.

"Are you kidding me. A #Phillies fan tried to come into game tonight with what they said was a 'service animal.' An Alligator! Yes an Alligator," Eskin wrote in his post.

Reports from CBS and The Philadelphia Inquirer identified the alligator as "Wally," an emotional support alligator owned by a man named Joie Henney .

While it is legal to own alligators in Philadelphia, it seems that Citizens Bank Park's policy on service animals might have prohibited Wally's entry.

"Guide dogs, service animals, or service animals in training are welcome. All other animals are prohibited," the stadium's administration said on its website.

Henney told The Washington Post in a story published in August 2022 that he hugs the alligator often, and that they sleep in the same bed. The alligator also happens to have tens of thousands of followers on both Instagram and TikTok.

According to a story by CNN, Henney acquired Wally seven years ago. Henney, who has worked as a reptile rescuer for three decades, told CNN that "Wally has been quite different than any alligator" he has ever dealt with.

"He doesn't show anger. He doesn't show aggression. He hasn't since the day he was caught. We never could understand why," he continued.

Representatives for Henney and Citizens Bank Park did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Insider sent outside regular business hours.