Joye Henney said her emotional supporter, the alligator Wally, went missing in Georgia after he was kidnapped, found and released into a swamp with about 20 other alligators.
Heather Khalifa/Philadelphia Inquirer, via AP
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Heather Khalifa/Philadelphia Inquirer, via AP
Joye Henney said her emotional supporter, the alligator Wally, went missing in Georgia after he was kidnapped, found and released into a swamp with about 20 other alligators.
Heather Khalifa/Philadelphia Inquirer, via AP
In normal times, social media accounts dedicated to Wally Gator include things like visiting nursing homes, wading in the fountains at Love Park in Philadelphia, meeting with the mayor, and smiling contentedly while wearing a red harness. , chronicles the adventures of a 6-foot-long psychological alligator around Pennsylvania. While various admirers embraced and hugged him.
But in recent days, calls for help have been pouring in. Wally went missing in Georgia, and his owner, Joey Henney, said he was kidnapped, recovered and released into a swamp.
Wally Gator’s Facebook page posted Saturday that Henney and Wally were visiting friends in Brunswick when someone took Gator from his pen in the early morning hours of April 21.
The next day, the account posted, “Wally was stolen by some bastard who likes to drop alligators in people’s yards to scare them.” “They called us when they found us. [Department of Natural Resources], the DNR then called a trapper. A trapper came and captured Wally, dropping him into a swamp along with about 20 other alligators that same day. ”
A Georgia Department of Resources spokesperson told NPR on Friday that a licensed trapper responded to a “nuisance alligator call” in Brunswick on April 21 and later released it in a “remote area.”
They described the way the trapper handled the alligator as “appropriate and routine.” However, it was not possible to confirm whether the animal in question was Wally or where he is now.
The Wally Gator Facebook page does not reveal the location of the swamp, but please contact Henny to help with the search and to “pray as we need a miracle,” especially considering there are other alligators. he called out.
“The swamp is so large that trappers said there was little chance of finding Wally.” “But this is Wally…Joey and his friends are currently heading into the swamp to search and will continue to do so every day.”
As of Friday, nearly 400 people had donated more than $10,000 to an online fundraiser to help with “travel expenses, advisory costs, and in some cases legal and veterinary fees” related to Wally’s disappearance.
Henney has not responded to NPR’s request for comment. But in a post on his personal Facebook page, he thanked supporters for their concerns and said there was a no-questions-asked reward for Wally’s safe return.
“Wally means so much to me and so many others, he makes us happy and brings joy to our hearts,” she wrote alongside a photo of the two of them cuddling.
Wally has over 145,000 followers on TikTok, 35,000 on Instagram, and over 10,000 on Facebook. His fame doesn’t end there. He was also the visual reference for Loki in his Disney+ show Alligator. loki.
After Wally made headlines last September for being denied a Phillies game, Henney told NPR that the then-8-year-old was born at about 18 months old.
Henny has been rescuing and rehabilitating animals for a long time, but he didn’t start owning this animal.
“But Wally became special and attached to me so much that I kept him,” Henney said.
Wally loves chin rubs and hugs, and won’t bite if people approach him. This, Henney said, is something she’s never seen before in her 30 years of working with alligators.
If social media is any indication, Wally is a source of comfort to strangers and friends alike. And he was by Henney’s side through a series of difficult moments, including the loss of several family members and his own treatment for prostate cancer.
“He means a lot to me,” Henney said. “In fact, he is as important to me as my children.”
Henney said Wally was the first reptile to be legally recognized as an emotional support animal, a process she underwent several years ago at the recommendation of her doctor.
Pennsylvania law allows reptiles as pets, but they cannot be released into the wild. However, in Georgia, “only licensed or permitted individuals may keep alligators,” according to the DNR.
On Friday, a post from Wally Gator’s Facebook account said the DNR told Heney they would prosecute Wally if they caught him. A DNR spokesperson declined to comment beyond the statement.
Meanwhile, in Wally’s fan Facebook groups, concerned fans are discussing the logistical and legal aspects of his situation, from a flood of calls to the governor’s office, to handing out fliers in the area, to television stations. even suggests tactics to try and find him. bounty hunter dog.
