Later alligator: man's emotional support pet alligator banned from Walmart after shopping trip

CapeTalk's Clarence Ford speaks to Barbara Friedman, about trending online stories.

Listen below:

On Friday, 5 September, photos of Wesley Silva (60) from Pennsylvania, pushing his emotional support alligator in a Walmart shopping cart quickly went viral online. The reptile, named Jinseioshi, appeared to be wearing a harness and a little coat for the outing.

Silva adopted the gator after his neighbour, who received the animal as a gift, wasn’t able to take care of it anymore. 

While Silva has reportedly been shopping at the store with Jinseioshi for years, some customers loved it but most of them were not thrilled to encounter an alligator sitting in a trolley in aisles.

Following the incident, Walmart informed Silva that he would no longer be allowed to bring the animal into the store, despite its status as an emotional support companion.

According to Walmart’s policy, only service animals, specifically dogs and miniature horses, are permitted in stores, as outlined by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

In a statement, a Walmart spokesperson said: “The safety of our customers and associates is our highest priority. While we welcome service animals in our stores, exposing the public to potential danger is unacceptable. As such, alligators are not permitted on our premises.”

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