Pennsylvania park visitors trying to cool off in a water fountain got a big shock when they were joined by a young girl walking an alligator on a leash. Wild video from LOVE Park in Philadelphia taken on Friday shows the child, who was dragged away by the reptile, lying on his stomach to cool off in a puddle. The alligator, named Wally, wore a collar that also labeled him as an emotional support pet. Apparently he was very friendly with others in the park and let strangers pet him. Wally is something of a local icon in York, Pennsylvania, which he calls home, Philly Voice reported. Its owner, Joie Henney, is a reptile lover who has many abusers. It was not clear who was walking Wally on Friday. “I went through a real hard depression and he pulled me out of it,” Henney once said in an interview about Wally. “My doctor wanted to give me anti-depressant medicine and I refused to take it,” the man said. Instead, he chose to spend time with the gator. Henney said Wally is federally registered as an emotional support animal and claims alligators are easier to train than dogs.
