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Leave it to Philadelphia to go beyond the expectations for a routine sporting event.
Wally, the emotional support alligator, and Gritty, the Flyers’ 7-foot orange mascot, were seen getting buddy-buddy Monday during the Flyers’ 3-2 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes.
The alligator and Flyers’ mascot danced together on the stadium Jumbotron as part of the “Lion King Cam.”
Joie Henney, the fan who brought the alligator into the arena, walked Wally around the venue during the game.
This isn’t the first time Henney has brought Wally with him to Philadelphia sporting events.
The pair attempted to attend a Phillies game in September but were denied at Citizens Bank Park since the stadium only allows service animals on the premises, not emotional support animals.
Wally is free to roam at Henney’s home near Hershey, Penn., and was relocated to Pennsylvania after being found in a pond at Disney World in Florida.
In an interview with CBS News, Henney said his emotional support alligator “makes me feel loved.”
“I’ll get lonely and stuff like that and he seems to sense that stuff and he’ll come up and he’ll give me a hug,” Henney said.
Gritty, the googly-eyed mascot who debuted in 2018, hopes to deliver the same relief and love to Flyers fans.
Lauren Robins, a social media coordinator for the Flyers, said Gritty imparted positivity into what was then a brutal news cycle.
“It was kind of a really dark time, and we just brought this light with the mascot,” Robins said, according to Philadelphia Magazine. “That made me so happy apart from Philadelphia and the Flyers — that we were bringing some happy news and positivity into everything.”
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