Man with Emotional Support Alligator Turned Away from Baseball Game
In a shocking incident, a man from Pennsylvania was denied entry into the Citizens Bank Park stadium during the game between Philadelphia Phillies and Pittsburgh Pirates on Sunday. The reason? He was carrying an alligator as his emotional support animal.
Yes, you read that right. A fully grown alligator.
The unidentified man, claiming to suffer from anxiety and depression, reportedly showed up with his scaly friend at the entrance gate. But much to his surprise, the security staff did not find his emotional support alligator convincing enough to let him enter the stadium.
“We are sorry for the inconvenience caused to the gentleman, but we have a strict policy against allowing animals that are not certified as service animals inside the stadium,” said a spokesperson of the Philadelphia Phillies.
However, the man argued that the alligator was indeed his emotional support animal and demanded to be let in. But the security personnel refused to budge. They called the police, who, upon arriving, escorted the man and his alligator out of the stadium.
The man was reportedly quite upset about the whole ordeal and felt discriminated against. “Why can’t my alligator be my emotional support animal? It’s not like I was going to let it loose in the stadium,” he complained.
It’s not clear how the man managed to obtain an emotional support animal certificate for an alligator, but experts point out that it is not uncommon for individuals to claim their pets as emotional support animals to bypass restrictions on pets in public places.
“This is a classic case of misusing the concept of emotional support animal. Emotional support animals serve a vital purpose in helping people with mental health issues, but bringing a large predator like an alligator to a public event is just ridiculous,” said Dr. Robert Granger, a clinical psychologist.
The incident has triggered a debate online, with some people expressing sympathy for the man while others are mocking him. “Maybe he should have tried bringing a therapy unicorn instead,” quipped a Twitter user.
The Philadelphia Phillies have clarified that they have a no-pet policy in general, but service animals are always welcome. They have also advised visitors to check their website for more information before bringing their pets or emotional support animals to the stadium.
As for the alligator, it is unclear what happened to it after the incident. Hopefully, it found a more suitable place to support its owner emotionally.
