Pennsylvania man claims Walmart banned his 5-foot ‘emotional support’ alligator — after a viral photo of it shopping on a leash
It’s not every day you see a man pushing his alligator, claiming it as his "emotional support" animal, in a Walmart shopping cart. But that’s exactly what happened in West Brownsville, Pennsylvania, earlier this month, and the images quickly went viral. The unusual sight left many shoppers stunned and eventually led to a ban. The incident has also sparked a conversation about where to draw the line when it comes to emotional support animals in public places.
The New York Post reported that Wesley Silva, 60, is the owner of Jinseioshi, a 5-foot-long, 32-pound alligator he considers more of a companion than a pet. Dressed in a grey outfit and later seen in a shirt with a harness, Jinseioshi was photographed at least twice during their Walmart visit, just south of Pittsburgh. “We’ve gone to restaurants,” Silva told WPXI. “We’ve been to Denny’s, where she’s a star there. She gets VIP treatment. We’ve been out to Bob Evans, we’ve been out to the Wagon Wheel in West Brownsville.” But despite her local fame, Walmart decided it had seen enough. The company released a statement saying, “The safety of our customers and associates is our highest priority. We welcome service animals in our stores, but it is unacceptable to expose members of the public to potential danger. Accordingly, alligators are not permitted on our premises.”
Silva says he was caught off guard by the store’s decision, especially since their public outings had never caused problems before. He stressed that Jinseioshi is always leashed and under control. “It’s been very positive, and I was really taken aback by that,” he said, referring to the public’s usual reaction. Silva explained that he took the gator in four years ago after his neighbor, who got her as a gift, couldn’t care for her any longer. “I did some research, I have kids of my own, and I didn’t want to put anyone in jeopardy, and after some research, I was like, you know what? I’ll take her,” he added. Since then, the pair has been regulars at local diners and around town.
Despite Walmart’s stance, Silva doesn’t plan to stop bringing Jinseioshi along for adventures. “I’ll just go with the flow,” he said calmly in response to the ban. While alligators can grow up to 12 feet and weigh 1,000 pounds, as per the National Wildlife Federation, Pennsylvania law doesn’t prohibit owning them. The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission states, "So long as these animals are not released into the wild, there are no state regulations regarding their ownership. Likewise, there is no state permit required to possess these animals."
While the state of Pennsylvania does not ban the ownership of these wild animals, some other places are not that openly welcoming. According to the New York City government website, a long list of animals is not allowed as pets, including lions, wolves, monkeys, bats, bears, and, of course, alligators. These animals are considered dangerous or unsuitable for home life, with rules meant to protect both the public and the animals themselves.