Social media’s infamous emotional support alligator, Wally, has been taken and released into the wild

A Pennsylvania man attributes an alligator to helping relieve his decadelong depression and claims the alligator, Wally, has been taken and released into the wild.

According to The New York Times , the emotional support alligator made his debut when he was denied admission to a Philadelphia Phillies game last year.

Where’s Wally?

Wallygator has a social media following of 11K on facebook , 148.6K on TikTok and 35.7K on Instagram . Wally’s owner, Joie Henney, said in a social media post that the alligator was taken from his pen in the early morning hours of April 21.

The Guardian reported Henney took Wally with him on a vacation in Brunswick, Georgia, where he was allegedly stolen. Henney expressed deep distress, revealing on social media that someone had taken Wally, dropping him off in someone else’s yard with the intent to scare them. The Georgia Department of Natural Resources were called, resulting in Wally being trapped and released in a swamp alongside 20 other alligators.

Henney was told by the trapper the chances of locating and bringing Wally home “is slim to none,” according to his social media post. Dedicated fans of Wallygator swarmed the platforms with shares, comments and likes. One devoted follower, Terri Eck, posted a photo of herself embracing Wally along with a plea: “I love Wally! Give him back please!!”

Henney’s first encounter with Wally

According to The New York Times , Wally was originally found in Disney World when Henney took him to his rescue reptile facility in Pennsylvania.

Henney said, the cold-blooded reptile became a comforting companion, assisting him through a deep emotional depression. What started as walks on a leash and errand runs turned into lively birthday parties and media pages filled with hugs and snout kisses, per the New York Post .

“We need all the help we can get to bring my baby back,” Henney said in a tearful video posted on TikTok.

Emotional support animals

A global medical technology company, BrainsWay focuses on developing medical devices that help mental health care. BrainsWay shared the psychological benefits of emotional support animals in a mental health treatment plan.

“Support animals can provide social support , emotional comfort, and other beneficial actions for individuals with these needs. Emotional support animals can play an essential role in mental health treatment plans, and animals that are well-suited for the job can make a real difference for their owners,” the article stated .

According to the article, any species can be designated as a support animal as long as their companionship helps soothe the owners’ mental health needs.

The search continues

Henney continues to share updates through social media. In the latest post, he said, “Hi everyone, as each day passes and it comes time to give an update that everyone looks for, it gets harder for me to say the same thing. … There is nothing new to say.”

There is a GoFundMe page to help bring Wally home.