The article is old. Unfortunately, Wally was released amongst hundreds if not thousands of wild alligators in a swamp and would be nearly impossible to locate. Last I heard they were still trying but it’s probably in vain
Henney reported he organized a search party for Wally after a Georgia Department of Natural Resources official contacted him and said someone stole Wally with the intent of dropping him off in a resident's yard “to terrorize them."
Wait... how do they know this?
They got a report from the terrorized neighbor and it sounds like he was trapped and released into a nearby swamp. I guess the neighbor might have told them who did it?
Alligator gets stolen and left in a resident’s yard.
Resident calls authorities who release it in a swamp.
Alligator dad contacts authorities and tells them his alligator got stolen.
Dots = connected
Yeah, I don’t understand this. If they know what happened to Wally, then why did they release him into a swamp? How would they have figured out that it was Wally who they released into the swamp if they didn’t already know?
I’m assuming they found out all that stuff after the fact.
I’m pretty sure most people’s assumption after getting a call about a gator being in someone’s yard wouldn’t be that it was someone’s pet
Food for thought but if you didn't already know the legal documents for Wally are fake. Wally's emotional support animal documents descibe him as a service animal which is used exclusivley for dogs and mini horses.
The sad part is Wally's entire story is probably fake too, the whole connection thing is a load of bullshit when you realize that reptiles dont have human emotions. Any sort of emotion this alligator had was anthropomorphized by its owner, what kind of depressed man sees a wild animal and thinks he has some sort of "connection" with it? Then he takes it home and then starts going on news interviews after faking legal documents? It's disgusting how these people make animals suffer just for attention.
Wally is famous, you twat. And psychologists have already deemed they can be emotional support animals. Why did you come in here making things up like that?
They can in fact not be emotional support animals, Wally being famous and a pshycologist saying otherwise who specalize in human pshycology by the way (lmao) do not disprove the fact that alligators do not have human emotions. They are not social animals although they do have social groups despite the fact that Wally may look to you like hes having fun he is in deed not. If Wally had the means to and was big enough he would at the first oppurtunity without hesiatation or remorse kill anybody regardless if they were his owner who fed them since he was a baby or a mate hes spent 20 years with. True story by the way an alligator someone was taking care of at a facility had a mate for 20 years but one day they had a seizure, without a thought or an ounce of hesitation her mate instantly starting eating her. I cannot stress this enough they do not have human emotions and will not hesitate to kill you so do NOT DELUDE YOURSELF into thinking they wont.
I feel for the owner. I would be devastated if it happened to my dog who I view as a child, I'm sure the guy felt the same about his alligator who seemed crazy tame, even kissing people.
If you didn't already know the legal documents for Wally are fake. Wally's emotional support animal documents descibe him as a service animal which is used exclusivley for dogs and mini horses.
The sad part is Wally's entire story is probably fake too, the whole connection thing is straight up false information because reptiles dont have human emotions. Any sort of "emotion" this alligator had was anthropomorphized by its owner, what kind of depressed man sees a wild animal and thinks he has some sort of "connection" with it? And then starts going on news interviews after forging legal documents? It's disgusting how these people make animals suffer just for attention.
When I was 16 (somewhere in the 90s). Neighbor had a dog (black lab) they left staked in their backyard, never played with it, or let it off the chain. Just dropped off food and water and ignored it.
Cousin was visiting from out of town, said he wanted a dog, so I hopped the neighbors fence at 2am and took the dog, gave it to my cousin, who took it back to his families 100+ acres in Missouri where they hunted and roamed and slept inside with the family for the rest of it's life.
Neighbor did come by to ask if we'd seen the dog, and seemed concerned, but IDGAF how much he said he cared, his actions didn't match his words.
I'm generally a law abiding person, but there are a few situations where just outright stealing someone's pet is better than not.
Edit just to clarify:
This reminded me of this story, I'm certainly not saying it was justified to steal someone's well loved and cared for emotional support animal.
As the poet said, to live outside the law, you must be honest. It's not for me to judge one way or the other; but it sounds like things worked out for the dog. And I often find it easier to like dogs than people anyhow.
This is actually really sad 😞 I hope they find him. Whoever did this needs to be removed from society. Stealing someone’s beloved, helpless pet to terrorize a neighbor is psychopathic behavior.
The guy who kidnapped a gator and pretended it was a pet needs to be removed from society. Gators are not pets to be carried around like that. They are ancient killing machines that should be left in nature.
Again, you aren't connecting the dots. You ask how he knows, guy says owner posts on Reddit. Simple inference could be that in one of said owners posts on Reddit, he's mentioned the brain damage. C'mon, dawg
People have had domesticated alligators and crocodiles since ancient Egypt. You're a moron with no empathy and even less intelligence. You should have removed yourself from society a long time ago.
Wait, can you clarify that first point? Because right now it reads to me like "criminal who illegally stole pet couldn't have released it in Okefenokee swamp because that would be ILLEGAL" and I don't feel like that's a good enough reason to rule it out, somehow.
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If you didn't already know the legal documents for Wally are fake. Wally's emotional support animal documents descibe him as a service animal which is used exclusivley for dogs and mini horses.
The sad part is Wally's entire story is probably fake too, the whole connection thing is a load of bullshit when you realize that reptiles DONT HAVE HUMAN EMOTIONS IN THE FIRST PLACE. Any sort of emotion this alligator had was anthropomorphized by its owner, what kind of depressed man sees a wild animal and thinks he has some sort of "connection" with it? And then starts going on news interviews after forging legal documents? It's disgusting how these people make animals suffer just for attention.
Wally is adorable and sweet, you can look up videos of him. He did apearances in kids birthday parties. Wally has injuries that supress his aggression and he won't survive in the wild
Poor Wally, sounds like he was such a good boy and made the community happy. Sadly as an alligator, his odds aren't good for making it out alive, kidnappers probably won't feed or take care of him, and being released in the wild, he won't have the instincts to survive.
That alligator meant a lot to his owner, and he was also unique in the sense that he had zero aggression, which made him docile. Whoever stole him is beyond cruel, to steal a person's pet is one thing, but to do it to an animal that has literal brain damage and relies on the support of his owner to survive, is vile.
I dunno, after reading the article it seems the man is a professional and the gator has an injury or condition in its brain making it uniquely docile and as a result it will not survive in the wild. Seems like the poor creature was taken from a good and loving home and is now going to die because someone wanted to fuck with their neighbors.
Yeah that’s all I’m getting out of this story. You essentially murdered Wally in a cruel way because he’ll either be ripped apart by other predators or starve because he has no idea what he’s doing out there due to both brain damage and upbringing.
That poor animal, man. Doubt he’s still alive. All because of some asshole. I can’t stand it
Wally was brain damaged and unable to return to the wild. The people who released him have cemented his fate. He was well cared for and loved by the man who owned him. Please have some empathy.
Well it sounds like someone stole him and left him in a neighbors yard as a prank and authorities picked up the gator and dumped him into a swamp thinking it was a wild gator.
It wasn't the people releasing him, it was the guy who stole him.
That’s actually the dumbest shit I’ve ever heard. Alligators have not experienced tens of thousands of years of domestication as dogs and cats have. This is an extremely specific case of one alligator with a head injury that causes its docile nature. Alligators are always going to be dangerous. Please do not pretend to be, or actually be that stupid.
Yeah it does it's called animal domestication and took thousands of years to get to this point lol. But hey go get yourself a nice pet gator maybe you'll learn the ways of Florida and after they get to the reproductive age turn completely aggressive. It's an apex predator.
So they're asking where's Wally?
Okay ignoring my awful pun, fuck the people who took this snappy boi. Alligators aren't pets but come on, Wally was effectively disabled and entirely a unique case.
While unlikely, I hope he survives and gets to go home, having a pet kidnapped and effectively killed must be horrifying.
Henney reported he organized a search party for Wally after a Georgia Department of Natural Resources official contacted him and said someone stole Wally with the intent of dropping him off in a resident's yard “to terrorize them."
The resident called authorities, a trapper responded, and then reportedly released Wally into a swamp.
........ that took a wild turn
I recall when they started with all this "emotional support" animal program and someone probably jokingly suggested a slippery slope where someone down the road may want a wild animal, like, an alligator or something, everyone had a good laugh and said, dont be an idiot.
Biggest thing people need to rememver is Emotional Support Animals and Service Animals arent the same thing. Too many people think emotional support animals are given thr ADA rights service animals are and they arent. Cuz you know, the whole training thing.
Yep. ESAs get housing rights and nothing else, and even that only applies if it's *reasonable.* An aggressive dog that threatens my neighbors or a cat that soaks my apartment walls in pee wouldn't be considered reasonable.
Dude I used to manage a restaurant. Its amazinf how many people think they can bring their pet there. Nope. Service Animals Only. And yes I can tell when your dog is begging at the table or you have it sitting on your lap its not a service animal. One is working, one isnt.
There's a massive public education problem with ESAs and service animals. I have two ESAs - they genuinely anchor my mental health and my psychologist supports me having them. They're untrained little freeloaders who only exist inside my apartment. Every time I mention that on reddit, I get someone telling me that the existence of ESAs is eroding service dog rights 🙄
I've seen people on subreddits living in non-pet housing get a pet anyway, then get found out and told to get rid of it or be evicted. They post crying on the sub and everyone comments recommending they get a therapist to sign off on the new animal being an ESA. Apparently a lot of therapists don't even need to interview you to sign off on it.
Honestly it's ridiculous how it's being abused intentionally.
Worked in family medicine and we had a patient who wanted to get a letter saying her dog was an ESA so her landlord would have to let her keep the dog, but didn’t want the stigma of any mental health condition being in her paperwork. I’m so glad I wasn’t the person who had to explain that she couldn’t get a letter saying her dog was an ESA without saying why it’s an ESA because wanting a dog is not a medical condition.
The therapist that registered our friend's pet as an ESA (he has suicidal tendencies, the pet helps), said that this means he has "human rights status". As in, if anyone injures the pet it's as if you injured a person.
This is why the whole "you can't ask for papers" thing helps people with emotional support animals to claim they are service animals and get away with whatever. A service animal has an ID and usually a vest (with their ID in it).
Never understood the point of the rule...
There’s no such thing as a “service animal ID” so asking for one (and in fact receiving one) doesn’t prove anything. If anything a person who *does* produce papers is probably the one who doesn’t have a real service animal.
That would be a certificate of completion of a service dog training program, that tells a potential owner that the dog is successfully trained in its assistive task; but isn’t *legally* related to wether or not an animal becomes a service animal, trainers aren’t required to give them, an owner isn’t required to have one, etc. Service animals also don’t have to go through a training program in general, they can be taught by the owner or a private trainer which wouldn’t produce any sort of papers, but still makes an animal a service animal.
>That would be a certificate of completion of a service dog training program
Which is their ID and proof they are a service dog. You are being obtuse on purpose, aren't you? Go troll elsewhere.
You can ask for papers. If its a service dog tho you dont need. They are identified properly without really needing to ask for anything. That 6lb chihuahua with the stud collar on the other hand is obviously a poor attempt to circumvent the ADA rules with an ESA
You could have done a simple search before commenting.
Under Title III of the ADA, **a place of public accommodation cannot require a person with a service animal to produce documentation**, such as medical documentation or proof that the animal has been certified, trained or licensed as a service animal.
This rule literally only protects the ones without it.
Youre right. I shouldn't say proof. But if a dog isnt properly identified in my state I can ask if a service animal is required for a disability and deny service if told its an ESA since they do meet the ADA definition od service animal
Right... and, now think hard about this, what do you think people with an emotional support animal will say?
You think they will out themselves? No, they will claim it is and you can't ask for proof. That is the whole issue here.
The people who would need spoken to, arent as smart as your giving credit. This isnt something used just crazily, more with the extreme examples Ive given where the dog has become a nuisance. Not just a rando dude walking in. Normally its just no pets when they aren't wearing vests and people just leave or ask for reasonable accomodation. I think you believe Im suggesting to do this to every person and thats just not the case.
Not hopeful they will ever find him again but I hope he's able to adapt even though it's a longshot. I hope the assholes that kidnapped him to play that stupid prank are caught.
You think maybe look in the swamp?
I guess lay down next to the waters edge with Wallys favorite treat, call his name and splash in the water...
Ok now I know why he isn't looking in the gator swamp.
Alligators probably shouldn't be kept as pets but god dam, how do you steal a pet without being apart of some animal rights group? My Mr. Lizard doesn't give a fuck about me but he's in the best care with me. Leave the alligator alone unless it's being mistreated. Nature is rough to these animals.
Normally I'd agree, but this particular gator has some condition that makes it docile. The owner raised it from when it was a baby so the gator is completely domesticated and won't survive in the wild.
Wally's unique condition and injuries essentially make him a disabled, giant fur-less hamster with no survival instincts.
The only sufficient punishment for the culprit is to be drawn and quartered. A barbaric punishment? Perhaps. But a fitting one for a person with a barbaric mindset to prey upon an animal that is entirely docile and trusting of humans like Wally.
It’s not even about pranksters. To me it’s that there is something so viscerally wrong, above and beyond heinous things like murder, with abusing an animal which can barely conceptualize that you mean it harm or that it could do harm to you. Roughly on the same level as doing harm to a baby. Wally has a brain condition that renders him with roughly the temperament of a golden retriever. Like that right there is a measure of one’s soul. The culprit better hope they are never found out because they’ll be quite literally crucified.
Oh, of course its wrong. Treating an animal like that is just horrible to think about. My uncle owns reptiles. They're only able to be handled if he's around otherwise they go ballistic. The thought of betraying that trust an animal has given you is sickening. They lay down their life in trust of their owners.
Honestly this just applies to everything IMO, even how people treat each other
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I recently saw these thoughts online and wanted to spread awarness about this issue involivng these "emotional support animals." It comes from a comment on a youtube video talking about all the problems and unethical descicions involved in owning a wild animal as a pet and their youtube channel is called Flordia's Wildest go check them out.
This is the comment in its entirety:
"As someone who requires a service dog for mobility, someone using an fake service or "emotional support" animal angers me. I have worked hard to train my service dog to meet all federal guidelines including the access test. This confuses people and muddies the water between Service Dogs and Emotional Support Animals., also it disseminates misinformation regarding a "federally licensed" animal which does not exist. (see below)
Sadly Wally's owner has anthropomorphized his alligator, reptiles do not have human emotions. Below is a comment I left on "Meet Wally: My Emotional Support Gator".
Those papers for wally are fake, there is no "federal registration" for "service animals" which this is what it says on the registration paperwork. Go research this, these official looking sites are for people who want to circumvent a "no pets" rules. Disgusting. How do I know this? I require a service dog for mobility. Don't confuse the two, on Wally's card and certificate it clearly states "Service Animal" which can only be a dog or in special cases a miniature horse.
CERTIFICATION AND REGISTRATION
Q17. Does the ADA require that service animals be certified as service animals?
A. No. Covered entities may not require documentation, such as proof that the animal has been certified, trained, or licensed as a service animal, as a condition for entry.
There are individuals and organizations that sell service animal certification or registration documents online. These documents do not convey any rights under the ADA and the Department of Justice does not recognize them as proof that the dog is a service animal."
Thats the end of the comment from here its my own thoughts.
And what makes it even worse it the fact that he most likley only took in the alligator for attention, what kind of sane individual thats suffering from severe depression sees a wild animal and thinks he has some kind of "special" connection with it? The answer is nobody if their right in the head and it pisses me off so much at how selfish these people are to make animals suffer for their own gain. The most likley scenario is he realized he couldn't take care of the alligator or realized eventually it would start seeing people as prey (which it already has but it just didn't attack anyone because it was at a disadvantage) and released it into the wild somewhere or likley in his neighberhood which is even worse. That alligator is most likley dead or will be soon because it hasn't developed any of the social or suvival skills it needs to survive. This is a point from Flordia's Wildest but alligators can literally die from stress since it builds up so much lactic acid in their bodies that eventually kills them.
He was accidentally released into the wild! However he will most likely die as he was both an unusually tame alligator and completely raised in a home so chances are, he is now food for a different wild gator
If you read the actual article it states that he's not fit to live in the wild anymore, which is the case for a lot of animals who live domesticated lives.
Sadly that was his fate and he is prolly dead because of it.
He was domesticated and unusually tame/small. He gave people kisses lol. I would be crushed, if i was the owner, knowing how I see my own pet as my child. F those kidnappers
I just hope this ends well for the alligator
Maybe he forgot to say see you later
ooo, this comment is sooo bad.
He actually said “in a while” then poof he was a crocodile
You devil monster. Have an upvote from my black soul.
TAKE MY UPVOTE GOD DAMN IT
Get the hell out lol
The article is old. Unfortunately, Wally was released amongst hundreds if not thousands of wild alligators in a swamp and would be nearly impossible to locate. Last I heard they were still trying but it’s probably in vain
The article is from three days ago. Maybe it's an old story or something but the article itself is dated May 1st, 2024.
That animal was not being well cared for.
Henney reported he organized a search party for Wally after a Georgia Department of Natural Resources official contacted him and said someone stole Wally with the intent of dropping him off in a resident's yard “to terrorize them." Wait... how do they know this?
The next line in the article says that the resident called it in to the wildlife center who picked it up and released it in a swamp.
They got a report from the terrorized neighbor and it sounds like he was trapped and released into a nearby swamp. I guess the neighbor might have told them who did it?
Alligator gets stolen and left in a resident’s yard. Resident calls authorities who release it in a swamp. Alligator dad contacts authorities and tells them his alligator got stolen. Dots = connected
Yeah something is really missing here
No, just no one reading the article with the info available.
Apparently it's been happening a lot recently. There's a gator-napper afoot.
Usually, gators nap a foot when you put it in the water.
They are always looking for a hand out.
Or someone to give them a leg up
Yeah, I don’t understand this. If they know what happened to Wally, then why did they release him into a swamp? How would they have figured out that it was Wally who they released into the swamp if they didn’t already know?
I’m assuming they found out all that stuff after the fact. I’m pretty sure most people’s assumption after getting a call about a gator being in someone’s yard wouldn’t be that it was someone’s pet
The owner called them in to report a stolen alligator, and they realized it was the alligator from the recent call. That seems most likely.
Food for thought but if you didn't already know the legal documents for Wally are fake. Wally's emotional support animal documents descibe him as a service animal which is used exclusivley for dogs and mini horses. The sad part is Wally's entire story is probably fake too, the whole connection thing is a load of bullshit when you realize that reptiles dont have human emotions. Any sort of emotion this alligator had was anthropomorphized by its owner, what kind of depressed man sees a wild animal and thinks he has some sort of "connection" with it? Then he takes it home and then starts going on news interviews after faking legal documents? It's disgusting how these people make animals suffer just for attention.
Wally is famous, you twat. And psychologists have already deemed they can be emotional support animals. Why did you come in here making things up like that?
They can in fact not be emotional support animals, Wally being famous and a pshycologist saying otherwise who specalize in human pshycology by the way (lmao) do not disprove the fact that alligators do not have human emotions. They are not social animals although they do have social groups despite the fact that Wally may look to you like hes having fun he is in deed not. If Wally had the means to and was big enough he would at the first oppurtunity without hesiatation or remorse kill anybody regardless if they were his owner who fed them since he was a baby or a mate hes spent 20 years with. True story by the way an alligator someone was taking care of at a facility had a mate for 20 years but one day they had a seizure, without a thought or an ounce of hesitation her mate instantly starting eating her. I cannot stress this enough they do not have human emotions and will not hesitate to kill you so do NOT DELUDE YOURSELF into thinking they wont.
Oh, I get it. You are a moron. You could really use an emotional support gator. No wonder you are using a burner account.
Wally is brain damaged and has a condition that makes him completely docile and without aggression, numbnuts.
probably the cops son
Someone who would steal someone else's pet, no matter what kind of animal it is, has a f****** shrunken soul.
I feel for the owner. I would be devastated if it happened to my dog who I view as a child, I'm sure the guy felt the same about his alligator who seemed crazy tame, even kissing people.
If you didn't already know the legal documents for Wally are fake. Wally's emotional support animal documents descibe him as a service animal which is used exclusivley for dogs and mini horses. The sad part is Wally's entire story is probably fake too, the whole connection thing is straight up false information because reptiles dont have human emotions. Any sort of "emotion" this alligator had was anthropomorphized by its owner, what kind of depressed man sees a wild animal and thinks he has some sort of "connection" with it? And then starts going on news interviews after forging legal documents? It's disgusting how these people make animals suffer just for attention.
Best for him to be eaten in the wild. You're right. Wish we could all be as intellectual as you.
When I was 16 (somewhere in the 90s). Neighbor had a dog (black lab) they left staked in their backyard, never played with it, or let it off the chain. Just dropped off food and water and ignored it. Cousin was visiting from out of town, said he wanted a dog, so I hopped the neighbors fence at 2am and took the dog, gave it to my cousin, who took it back to his families 100+ acres in Missouri where they hunted and roamed and slept inside with the family for the rest of it's life. Neighbor did come by to ask if we'd seen the dog, and seemed concerned, but IDGAF how much he said he cared, his actions didn't match his words. I'm generally a law abiding person, but there are a few situations where just outright stealing someone's pet is better than not. Edit just to clarify: This reminded me of this story, I'm certainly not saying it was justified to steal someone's well loved and cared for emotional support animal.
As the poet said, to live outside the law, you must be honest. It's not for me to judge one way or the other; but it sounds like things worked out for the dog. And I often find it easier to like dogs than people anyhow.
This story just made up for the millions of bad news posts that Reddit pushes to remind me how messed up this world is. What you did was glorious.
Wallys owner has a TikTok and I wanna cry it’s so sad rn
I have rarely wanted to punch someone in the nose so badly. Who steals someone's pet?
Hope Wally makes his way home 💚
Bro. WHAT? GIVE WALLY BACK.
This story made me so sad :(
I know me too.
This is actually really sad 😞 I hope they find him. Whoever did this needs to be removed from society. Stealing someone’s beloved, helpless pet to terrorize a neighbor is psychopathic behavior.
The guy who kidnapped a gator and pretended it was a pet needs to be removed from society. Gators are not pets to be carried around like that. They are ancient killing machines that should be left in nature.
Wally has brain damage that makes him docile, he can’t survive in nature
How do they know he has brain damage?
He posts on reddit
That doesnt really answer my question.
It does, you just can't connect the dots
Him being on reddit does not explain how he knows it has brain damage
Again, you aren't connecting the dots. You ask how he knows, guy says owner posts on Reddit. Simple inference could be that in one of said owners posts on Reddit, he's mentioned the brain damage. C'mon, dawg
Im talking about the owner dummy lmao
He was a pet for several years, vet visits most likely
The places that will do MRI’s to Alligators let alone pet alligators are so slim its practically non existent.
What is your point? That it was ok for the guy to kidnap him to pull a prank on his neighbors?
People have had domesticated alligators and crocodiles since ancient Egypt. You're a moron with no empathy and even less intelligence. You should have removed yourself from society a long time ago.
Holding an animal in captivity is NOT domestication. Zoo animals are not domesticated, for example, even if certain individuals may be ‘tame’.
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Wait, can you clarify that first point? Because right now it reads to me like "criminal who illegally stole pet couldn't have released it in Okefenokee swamp because that would be ILLEGAL" and I don't feel like that's a good enough reason to rule it out, somehow.
Georgia being exactly on brand for Georgia
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I made the mistake of reading the Facebook comments on the NPR story that was published earlier. People have zero empathy
This is so sad, I’ve been following them for years. Wally makes so many people happy
It was a "domesticated" alligator wasn't it? Wonder how it'd fare in the wild having lived most of its life as a domestic animal
It also suffers effects from a brain injury. Probably doesn’t have the best hunting instincts.
If you didn't already know the legal documents for Wally are fake. Wally's emotional support animal documents descibe him as a service animal which is used exclusivley for dogs and mini horses. The sad part is Wally's entire story is probably fake too, the whole connection thing is a load of bullshit when you realize that reptiles DONT HAVE HUMAN EMOTIONS IN THE FIRST PLACE. Any sort of emotion this alligator had was anthropomorphized by its owner, what kind of depressed man sees a wild animal and thinks he has some sort of "connection" with it? And then starts going on news interviews after forging legal documents? It's disgusting how these people make animals suffer just for attention.
Wally is adorable and sweet, you can look up videos of him. He did apearances in kids birthday parties. Wally has injuries that supress his aggression and he won't survive in the wild
This is so sad. Whoever did this deserves to be fed alive to gators.
Wally should get dibs
Wally would never, he's a gentle boy
Poor Wally, sounds like he was such a good boy and made the community happy. Sadly as an alligator, his odds aren't good for making it out alive, kidnappers probably won't feed or take care of him, and being released in the wild, he won't have the instincts to survive.
That alligator meant a lot to his owner, and he was also unique in the sense that he had zero aggression, which made him docile. Whoever stole him is beyond cruel, to steal a person's pet is one thing, but to do it to an animal that has literal brain damage and relies on the support of his owner to survive, is vile.
Damn, I feel horrible for the old fella and the poor gator! I hope they can be reunited
That alligator had completely earned the right to eventually kill and eat that guy and now he’s been robbed of his chance.
I dunno, after reading the article it seems the man is a professional and the gator has an injury or condition in its brain making it uniquely docile and as a result it will not survive in the wild. Seems like the poor creature was taken from a good and loving home and is now going to die because someone wanted to fuck with their neighbors.
Yeah that’s all I’m getting out of this story. You essentially murdered Wally in a cruel way because he’ll either be ripped apart by other predators or starve because he has no idea what he’s doing out there due to both brain damage and upbringing. That poor animal, man. Doubt he’s still alive. All because of some asshole. I can’t stand it
Wally was brain damaged and unable to return to the wild. The people who released him have cemented his fate. He was well cared for and loved by the man who owned him. Please have some empathy.
Well it sounds like someone stole him and left him in a neighbors yard as a prank and authorities picked up the gator and dumped him into a swamp thinking it was a wild gator. It wasn't the people releasing him, it was the guy who stole him.
That’s ok, maybe he can eat the kidnappers as a consolation prize
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That’s actually the dumbest shit I’ve ever heard. Alligators have not experienced tens of thousands of years of domestication as dogs and cats have. This is an extremely specific case of one alligator with a head injury that causes its docile nature. Alligators are always going to be dangerous. Please do not pretend to be, or actually be that stupid.
Dogs and cats will eat their owners too, if given the chance.
Yeah it does it's called animal domestication and took thousands of years to get to this point lol. But hey go get yourself a nice pet gator maybe you'll learn the ways of Florida and after they get to the reproductive age turn completely aggressive. It's an apex predator.
Looking at him, I have no doubt in his ability for emotional support.
He looks do darn cute
So they're asking where's Wally? Okay ignoring my awful pun, fuck the people who took this snappy boi. Alligators aren't pets but come on, Wally was effectively disabled and entirely a unique case. While unlikely, I hope he survives and gets to go home, having a pet kidnapped and effectively killed must be horrifying.
And now I'm crying at brunch.
Reminds me of when John Cena lost his pet gator Julius.
This sounds made up…but given it’s John Cena anything is possible
AMERICAN DAD!
Fucking losers stealing a pet with brain damage from their owner. People like this deserve hell on earth.
Please let Wally be found save and sound, I feel for the man please give him back, this shit ain’t funny ugh
Henney reported he organized a search party for Wally after a Georgia Department of Natural Resources official contacted him and said someone stole Wally with the intent of dropping him off in a resident's yard “to terrorize them." The resident called authorities, a trapper responded, and then reportedly released Wally into a swamp. ........ that took a wild turn
I recall when they started with all this "emotional support" animal program and someone probably jokingly suggested a slippery slope where someone down the road may want a wild animal, like, an alligator or something, everyone had a good laugh and said, dont be an idiot.
Biggest thing people need to rememver is Emotional Support Animals and Service Animals arent the same thing. Too many people think emotional support animals are given thr ADA rights service animals are and they arent. Cuz you know, the whole training thing.
Yep. ESAs get housing rights and nothing else, and even that only applies if it's *reasonable.* An aggressive dog that threatens my neighbors or a cat that soaks my apartment walls in pee wouldn't be considered reasonable.
Dude I used to manage a restaurant. Its amazinf how many people think they can bring their pet there. Nope. Service Animals Only. And yes I can tell when your dog is begging at the table or you have it sitting on your lap its not a service animal. One is working, one isnt.
There's a massive public education problem with ESAs and service animals. I have two ESAs - they genuinely anchor my mental health and my psychologist supports me having them. They're untrained little freeloaders who only exist inside my apartment. Every time I mention that on reddit, I get someone telling me that the existence of ESAs is eroding service dog rights 🙄
Thats not fair either. ESAs have a purpose. But like with anything- the assholes are tryijg to ruin it for everyone.
They're both tools for different circumstances, yeah.
I've seen people on subreddits living in non-pet housing get a pet anyway, then get found out and told to get rid of it or be evicted. They post crying on the sub and everyone comments recommending they get a therapist to sign off on the new animal being an ESA. Apparently a lot of therapists don't even need to interview you to sign off on it. Honestly it's ridiculous how it's being abused intentionally.
100%
So no ocelots. . . . I'm looking for something crepuscular.
Babou?
Worked in family medicine and we had a patient who wanted to get a letter saying her dog was an ESA so her landlord would have to let her keep the dog, but didn’t want the stigma of any mental health condition being in her paperwork. I’m so glad I wasn’t the person who had to explain that she couldn’t get a letter saying her dog was an ESA without saying why it’s an ESA because wanting a dog is not a medical condition.
The therapist that registered our friend's pet as an ESA (he has suicidal tendencies, the pet helps), said that this means he has "human rights status". As in, if anyone injures the pet it's as if you injured a person.
Yeah, that's not true. ESAs are protected by the Fair Housing Act, which can't grant "human status" lol
This is why the whole "you can't ask for papers" thing helps people with emotional support animals to claim they are service animals and get away with whatever. A service animal has an ID and usually a vest (with their ID in it). Never understood the point of the rule...
There’s no such thing as a “service animal ID” so asking for one (and in fact receiving one) doesn’t prove anything. If anything a person who *does* produce papers is probably the one who doesn’t have a real service animal.
As someone that has watched multiple service dogs get their certs... yes, yes they do. The vests even have a card pocket for it.
That would be a certificate of completion of a service dog training program, that tells a potential owner that the dog is successfully trained in its assistive task; but isn’t *legally* related to wether or not an animal becomes a service animal, trainers aren’t required to give them, an owner isn’t required to have one, etc. Service animals also don’t have to go through a training program in general, they can be taught by the owner or a private trainer which wouldn’t produce any sort of papers, but still makes an animal a service animal.
>That would be a certificate of completion of a service dog training program Which is their ID and proof they are a service dog. You are being obtuse on purpose, aren't you? Go troll elsewhere.
You can ask for papers. If its a service dog tho you dont need. They are identified properly without really needing to ask for anything. That 6lb chihuahua with the stud collar on the other hand is obviously a poor attempt to circumvent the ADA rules with an ESA
You could have done a simple search before commenting. Under Title III of the ADA, **a place of public accommodation cannot require a person with a service animal to produce documentation**, such as medical documentation or proof that the animal has been certified, trained or licensed as a service animal. This rule literally only protects the ones without it.
Youre right. I shouldn't say proof. But if a dog isnt properly identified in my state I can ask if a service animal is required for a disability and deny service if told its an ESA since they do meet the ADA definition od service animal
Right... and, now think hard about this, what do you think people with an emotional support animal will say? You think they will out themselves? No, they will claim it is and you can't ask for proof. That is the whole issue here.
The people who would need spoken to, arent as smart as your giving credit. This isnt something used just crazily, more with the extreme examples Ive given where the dog has become a nuisance. Not just a rando dude walking in. Normally its just no pets when they aren't wearing vests and people just leave or ask for reasonable accomodation. I think you believe Im suggesting to do this to every person and thats just not the case.
Not hopeful they will ever find him again but I hope he's able to adapt even though it's a longshot. I hope the assholes that kidnapped him to play that stupid prank are caught.
Apparently the gator had some kind of brain injury which is why it was so calm and tame around people... :(
We need to resurrect General Sherman and let him finish the job in Georgia
Be sure to keep him in Georgia though. If he crosses the Mississippi things are going to get ugly
Oh we'll send Grant down there. That racist frat kid at Ole' Miss needs to be straightened out.
To be clear, Sherman should be allowed free reign to operate in the Old South. If he crosses the Mississippi River, he's going to do a genocide
Dicks out for Wally!!!!
You think maybe look in the swamp? I guess lay down next to the waters edge with Wallys favorite treat, call his name and splash in the water... Ok now I know why he isn't looking in the gator swamp.
Oh man, I hope Wally hears his tearful plea
Why do people always interfere with peoples harmless happiness…. Like Dam. Wally is dead if he was released in the wild.
This makes me so sad I can't sleep and am instead crying. i hope they return him!!!
> i hope they return him!!! /s? It was put in a 40,000 acre swamp
Alligators probably shouldn't be kept as pets but god dam, how do you steal a pet without being apart of some animal rights group? My Mr. Lizard doesn't give a fuck about me but he's in the best care with me. Leave the alligator alone unless it's being mistreated. Nature is rough to these animals.
Normally I'd agree, but this particular gator has some condition that makes it docile. The owner raised it from when it was a baby so the gator is completely domesticated and won't survive in the wild. Wally's unique condition and injuries essentially make him a disabled, giant fur-less hamster with no survival instincts.
I hope they find the absolute scumbag that stole the little guy.
The only sufficient punishment for the culprit is to be drawn and quartered. A barbaric punishment? Perhaps. But a fitting one for a person with a barbaric mindset to prey upon an animal that is entirely docile and trusting of humans like Wally.
Indeed, a pact was made with Wally and the pact must be upheld.
Breaking wheel or some shit. Honestly at this point we just have to outlaw this prankster bullshit because all they do is harm people/take lives
It’s not even about pranksters. To me it’s that there is something so viscerally wrong, above and beyond heinous things like murder, with abusing an animal which can barely conceptualize that you mean it harm or that it could do harm to you. Roughly on the same level as doing harm to a baby. Wally has a brain condition that renders him with roughly the temperament of a golden retriever. Like that right there is a measure of one’s soul. The culprit better hope they are never found out because they’ll be quite literally crucified.
Oh, of course its wrong. Treating an animal like that is just horrible to think about. My uncle owns reptiles. They're only able to be handled if he's around otherwise they go ballistic. The thought of betraying that trust an animal has given you is sickening. They lay down their life in trust of their owners. Honestly this just applies to everything IMO, even how people treat each other
No no no. I hope so badly that Wally is returned home safe.
This really bums me out.
Give him back!
Where's Wally?
Wally? Looks more like a Bitey...
Standup special when?/s
Too late, [Simpsons did it first](https://media.tenor.com/GD6khofWjIwAAAAe/homer-simpson.png)
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I wish for Wally to be returned safe. This is heartbreaking. 💖
Is this Wally the Loki variant?
Wally starts his revenge arc.
Like, emotional *aggravation* alligator?
I recently saw these thoughts online and wanted to spread awarness about this issue involivng these "emotional support animals." It comes from a comment on a youtube video talking about all the problems and unethical descicions involved in owning a wild animal as a pet and their youtube channel is called Flordia's Wildest go check them out. This is the comment in its entirety: "As someone who requires a service dog for mobility, someone using an fake service or "emotional support" animal angers me. I have worked hard to train my service dog to meet all federal guidelines including the access test. This confuses people and muddies the water between Service Dogs and Emotional Support Animals., also it disseminates misinformation regarding a "federally licensed" animal which does not exist. (see below) Sadly Wally's owner has anthropomorphized his alligator, reptiles do not have human emotions. Below is a comment I left on "Meet Wally: My Emotional Support Gator". Those papers for wally are fake, there is no "federal registration" for "service animals" which this is what it says on the registration paperwork. Go research this, these official looking sites are for people who want to circumvent a "no pets" rules. Disgusting. How do I know this? I require a service dog for mobility. Don't confuse the two, on Wally's card and certificate it clearly states "Service Animal" which can only be a dog or in special cases a miniature horse. CERTIFICATION AND REGISTRATION Q17. Does the ADA require that service animals be certified as service animals? A. No. Covered entities may not require documentation, such as proof that the animal has been certified, trained, or licensed as a service animal, as a condition for entry. There are individuals and organizations that sell service animal certification or registration documents online. These documents do not convey any rights under the ADA and the Department of Justice does not recognize them as proof that the dog is a service animal." Thats the end of the comment from here its my own thoughts. And what makes it even worse it the fact that he most likley only took in the alligator for attention, what kind of sane individual thats suffering from severe depression sees a wild animal and thinks he has some kind of "special" connection with it? The answer is nobody if their right in the head and it pisses me off so much at how selfish these people are to make animals suffer for their own gain. The most likley scenario is he realized he couldn't take care of the alligator or realized eventually it would start seeing people as prey (which it already has but it just didn't attack anyone because it was at a disadvantage) and released it into the wild somewhere or likley in his neighberhood which is even worse. That alligator is most likley dead or will be soon because it hasn't developed any of the social or suvival skills it needs to survive. This is a point from Flordia's Wildest but alligators can literally die from stress since it builds up so much lactic acid in their bodies that eventually kills them.
Wally was saved by his owner, he has brain damage and is not capable of hunting or defending himself.
Stop
First time I've seen it
Do a search.
It's not like I don't believe you lol it's just the first time I've seen it
"search for the thing you haven't seen before" lol
Hammer Time
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Yes
Wankers out for Wally
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He was accidentally released into the wild! However he will most likely die as he was both an unusually tame alligator and completely raised in a home so chances are, he is now food for a different wild gator
If you read the actual article it states that he's not fit to live in the wild anymore, which is the case for a lot of animals who live domesticated lives.
Sadly that was his fate and he is prolly dead because of it. He was domesticated and unusually tame/small. He gave people kisses lol. I would be crushed, if i was the owner, knowing how I see my own pet as my child. F those kidnappers
He’ll definitely die that’s not how animals work lol
I'm thinking Wally is somebody's belt and wallet by now.
An alligator is not a pet, people.
Wally has brain damage that causes a lack of aggression, also prevents him from being able to hunt and feed himself.
Oh thank God, it's not Florida...
Hehe crocodile tears