Man’s emotional support alligator denied entry to Walmart after customer complaint

In simple terms, a man from Pennsylvania was refused entry into a Walmart because he tried to bring his five-foot emotional support alligator with him in a shopping cart.

60-year-old Wesley Silva has been regularly shopping at Walmart alongside his pet alligator, Jinseioshi, for quite some time without encountering any problems. This five-foot reptile weighs approximately 32 pounds and is often carried around the store in a cart, secured by a harness during their visits.

As reported by WPXI, images of a man posing with his alligator spread rapidly on the internet, leading the individual who captured them to report this incident to the store authorities.

A woman, speaking anonymously, recounted her surprise at seeing an alligator, dressed up and standing inside a buggy, in a particular Walmart. She expressed disbelief about the situation. Moreover, she stated that due to safety concerns, she is unlikely to return to that specific store, preferring not to shop where alligators are present.

During his visit to Walmart in September, Silva was halted by the staff following a complaint from another customer. According to People, this was the first instance where store personnel denied entry since Silva started bringing Jinseioshi along with him.

Emotional support vs. service animals

Specialists clarified to the public that while service animals receive legal protection, emotional support animals do not fall under the same legislation. Furthermore, they voiced safety concerns, pointing out that creatures like alligators may behave erratically in busy or tense settings such as a shopping center due to their unpredictable nature.

The Humane Animal Rescue of Pittsburgh shared their concerns with WPXI, stating: “Animals can behave unpredictably when they’re in unfamiliar situations or stressed environments like a store such as Walmart. This means there are no precautions to ensure safety, and this could potentially be very risky.

It’s not surprising that Jinseioshi, like Wally the popular TikTok alligator back in 2023, was also denied entry to an establishment because emotional support reptiles aren’t usually welcomed there.

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2025-09-12 22:18