This Alligator Hugs and Kisses Humans (Instead of Ripping Them Apart With Its Razor-Sharp Teeth)
It also helps people get rid of their depression
The alligator we are talking about has 80 razor-sharp teeth with powerful jaws. His bite force is estimated at around 3000 pounds per square inch. But don’t worry! It doesn’t count humans as food. Instead, it offers hugs and kisses to make you feel good.
Don’t you believe me?
Okay, no problem. We will get to that soon.
I wasn’t an emotional person back then. I was a very selfish ‘all-for-me’ type of person
Joie Henney from Pennsylvania has been passionate about reptiles throughout his entire life. In his childhood, he used to collect snakes, take care of them and then return them to the wild. He also loved to go hunting and fishing, which later became his profession.
From 1989 until 2000, he had his own hunting shows on ESPN Outdoors, Fox, and other media outlets.
“I wasn’t an emotional person back then. I was a very selfish ‘all-for-me’ type of person,” He says to The Guardian with a heavy heart. “I never thought I would ever go to heaven because of all the cruel things I did to people.”
Joie was always up for a challenge to fight where he could show his cockiness. One day, he took a challenge to knock out ten men with ten shots. But when he hit the third or fourth person, he noticed the sound was different. Soon, he realized he had broken that man’s neck.
“He lived but he is now even today a paraplegic,” Joie breaks into tears while explaining. “What I did…I destroyed his life. I destroyed him. Just because I was cocky.”
Realizing what Joie had done to that man, he fell into chronic depression. His life became a living hell filled with guilt and remorse. Everything around him fell apart and this was the time when Joie came to know about a rescued alligator, the very one we’re talking about.
The alligator who offers hugs and kisses
In 2015, one of Joie’s friends from Orlando, Florida, let him know that they rescued a one-year-old alligator from the lagoon, and he could have it if he wanted.
As Joie was always passionate about reptiles, he adopted the gator. He did so to bring a change in his depression-stricken life.
After having the gator at his house in Pennsylvania, he started taking care of it well. He named the gator; Wally — inspired by Wally Gator, an American animated TV series from 1962.
For the first few days, he was very careful and maintained a safe distance to avoid getting bitten. But soon, he realized Wally is far from a typical alligator.
“When you rub the top of Wally’s head, it’s like petting a dog,” He explains. “Wally will close his eyes and enjoy it just like a dog does.”
Wally kept Joie busy and helped him forget his depression momentarily. In his word, “I went through a real hard depression and he(Wally) brought me out of it. He was just constantly cuddling and holding me. I’d take a nap and wake up and he’d be laying on my head.”
It is to note that he tried anti-depressant pills as his doctor prescribed. But after taking one pill, he felt terrible and decided not to take another.
Eventually, Joie and the alligator, Wally, bonded very well, and it helped Joie overcome his chronic depression.
A month later, when Joie visited his doctor for a regular checkup, she was surprised to see the improvement and asked, “What did you do? You are doing really good.”
Joie smiled and said, “I hung out with Wally.”
Wally got registered as an ESA
Knowing everything from Joie, his doctor was astonished. Later, she sent him a letter stating Wally was an emotional support animal (ESA) and told him to get Wally registered.
An alligator as an ESA!!?
At first, Joie couldn’t believe his ear as he thought it was a very weird idea. But he noticed that Wally is always a very calm and well-behaved alligator who offers hugs to even strangers.
Somehow, Wally recognizes people who need emotional support and gives hugs and kisses to make them feel good. He never tries to attack anyone or shows aggressive behavior.
“Wally helps me keep my spirits up,” says Joie. “He can also sense when folks are not feeling well. He’ll do his best to get to that person to comfort them.”
Finally, Wally gets federally registered as an emotional support animal on 13 December 2018. Along with official certificates and papers, Wally — the alligator — also has an official ID card.
How cool is that, right!!!!
Parting thoughts
Wally is now an inseparable part of Joie’s life. He was regularly taken out for walks to streets, parks, malls, and even restaurants, where he hangs out with people, including kids.
Joie has other reptiles in his house ranging from bearded dragons to ball pythons. But none of them are as famous as Wally.
This five-foot 60-pound gator is a local hero who captures people’s attention with his grand appearance and then offers hugs and kisses to give them an experience of a lifetime.
Many of you might find it extreme to have an alligator as an ESA. But don’t forget, cats and dogs have sharp teeth too, and any domesticated animal can go wild anytime. So there is always risk involved, and you’ve to be careful.
Sources: The Guardian, Harrisburg Magazine, Beastly, Sun Sentinel
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