A Pennsylvania man says his emotional support alligator helps him deal with his depression.

Joie Henney, 65, said his registered emotional support animal named Wally likes to snuggle and give hugs, despite being a 5-foot-long alligator. The York Haven man said he received approval from his doctor to use Wally as his emotional support animal after not wanting to go on medication for depression, he told Philly.com.

鈥淚 had Wally, and when I came home and was around him, it was all OK,鈥� he said. 鈥淢y doctor knew about Wally and figured it works, so why not?鈥�

Wally was rescued from outside Orlando at 14 months old and is still growing; Henney said Wally could be 16 feet long one day. Henney says Wally eats chicken wings and shares an indoor plastic pond with a smaller rescue alligator named Scrappy.

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Wally, who turns 4 this year, is a big teddy bear, in Henney鈥檚 words. The cold-blooded reptile likes to rest his snout on Henney鈥檚, and 鈥渉e likes to give hugs,鈥� he said.

The alligator has never bitten anyone and is even afraid of cats, according to Henney.

Henney acknowledged that Wally is still a dangerous wild animal and could probably tear his arm off, but says he鈥檚 never been afraid of him.

Henney鈥檚 background also indicates a comfort with creatures like Wally. He hosted a show called 鈥淛oie Henney鈥檚 Outdoors鈥� on ESPN Outdoors from 1989 to 2000, according to the York Daily Record.

Henney frequently takes Wally out for meet-and-greets at places like senior centres and minor-league baseball games.

鈥淗e鈥檚 just like a dog,鈥� Henney told a woman at a recent outing to a senior centre. 鈥淗e wants to be loved and petted.鈥�

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Information from: Philly.com, http://www.philly.com/

The Associated Press

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