An incident occurred in which an alligator that served as a source of emotional support was bounced from a sporting event, but the scene did not actually occur in Florida.
It was reportedly a Philadelphia Phillies fan who brought a leash-tethered reptile to the Citizens to watch the playoff-bound team’s 7-6 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday. He reportedly tried to enter Bank Park. Apparently the “service animal” privilege did not apply.
The fans were identified by philadelphia inquirer as Joey Henney in Jonestown; His pet wears a harness vest with “Wally” written on one side.
In the video below posted by Phillies fan John McCann, Henney is seen holding Wally’s leash and picking him up to put him in his trunk outside the ballpark.
“Well, this is a game I’ll never forget. Thank you,” McCann said as he finished recording. He also captured another video of what appeared to be a security guard outside the stadium gates shaking Henney’s hand and saying goodbye to Wally.
Citizens Bank Park’s policy states, “Certified service dogs or service dogs in training for guests with special needs are welcome. No other animals are allowed.” . Cats often appear at MLB games, so it’s no wonder they can’t make an exception for Wally.
A year ago, Henney told the Inquirer that alligators have never bitten anyone and that it helps her fight depression. Wally is also very popular on social media.of Instagram account @wallygatornjoie It had about 26,000 followers as of Thursday morning. TikTok account Wally the Alligator The number of followers is over 100,000. According to multiple social media posts, the pet shares a bed with Henny and appears to frequently give hugs to people, including small children.
Wally didn’t seem to be a huge safety risk to Phillies fans, but he and Henny could pose another threat. Back in 1945, William Sianis put a curse on the Chicago Cubs. It was immortalized as “.Billy Goat’s Curse“After Sianis and his pets were barred from the World Series game at Wrigley Field. He said the Cubs would never win a title again because Sianis couldn’t watch the team he loved. Ta.”
This curse was broken in 2016 after a 71-year drought of World Series appearances. It was the team’s first victory in 108 years.
