When someone says "emotional support animal", we automatically assume the animal is a cat, a dog or even a hamster. One would not necessarily think another would have an emotional support animal that might put their life in danger, in this case, that assumption would be incorrect.

CNN recently reported that a gentleman in Philadelphia in the United States of America, Joie Henney, has a peculiar emotional support animal, an alligator.  Henney told CNN that he acquired Wally six years prior. A longtime reptile rescuer who has worked with alligators for 30 years, Henney was contacted by a friend working in Florida.  In Florida, so-called "nuisance alligators" must be either euthanized or transferred into captivity, he explained.

Wally was removed from a lagoon in Florida, said Henney. His friend brought the baby gator, then just 20 inches long and a little over a year old, to Pennsylvania.

Thus began a unique relationship between man and alligator.

"Wally has been quite different than any alligator I've ever dealt with in the past 30 years," said Henney. "He doesn't show anger. He doesn't show aggression. He hasn't since the day he was caught. We never could understand why.

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Wally's easy going personality led Henney to have the gator licensed as an emotional support animal, he said. The alligator has provided comfort for him as he has undergone radiation treatments for cancer.

Most people who see Wally are "really excited and happy to see him," said Henney.

Henney isn't concerned about the possibility of the alligator biting someone, he said. "Wally is the only gator I've ever been around that refuses to bite," he said. "It's mind-boggling -- just hard to believe."