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Pa. man’s emotional support alligator gets banned from Walmart
Penn Live ^ | September 12, 2025 | Chris Mautner

Posted on 09/26/2025 7:46:14 PM PDT by DoodleBob

Jinseioshi, a 5-foot-long, 32-pound pet alligator living in Washington County, gets to go to a lot of different places.

According to her owner, Wesley Silva, 60, she’s been to Denny’s and a Bob Evans restaurant. And until recently, she made regular appearances at a West Brownville Walmart.

Sadly, Jinseioshi won’t be allowed in Walmart any longer, as she’s been banned from the store.

The ban came after some customers spotted the alligator in the store being pushed around in a shopping cart while she was wearing a dress.

“We have been going to that Walmart for about 3½ years, and normally the reaction is ‘That’s pretty cool’ or ‘That is awesome that you have a pet alligator, man!’” Silva said to NBC News.

However, some customers apparently weren’t so thrilled to be seeing a pet alligator in their store and directed their concerns to Walmart management, which then let it be known that Silva couldn’t bring Jinseioshi into the store any longer.

“The safety of our customers and associates is our highest priority,” a Walmart spokesperson told NBC News. “We welcome service animals in our stores, but it is unacceptable to expose members of the public to potential danger.”

Silva said he got the alligator from a neighbor who couldn’t take care of her any longer.

A pastor at a Baptist church, Silva also owns a dog, six snakes, a leopard gecko, a Komodo dragon, an ocellated skink and — yes — another alligator.

“In the Bible, God talks about us having dominion over animals, and I developed an affinity for the reptiles,” he said to the news outlet. “I find them very soothing.”


TOPICS: Pets/Animals; Weird Stuff
KEYWORDS: alligator; emotionalsupport

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To: SaveFerris
“See ya later alligator?” 🐊

You said it, lol!

21 posted on 09/26/2025 8:19:54 PM PDT by telescope115 (Ad Astra, Ad Deum…)
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To: DouglasKC

There is an episode of Brooklyn 99 with Amy objecting to the support dog. It is very well done.

Season 3, Episode 18,


22 posted on 09/26/2025 8:20:36 PM PDT by stanne (Because they were mesmerized by Obama, the man for whom this was named, whose name they left out of )
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

Yep.


23 posted on 09/26/2025 8:22:47 PM PDT by No name given ( Anonymous is who you’ll know me as )
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To: KarlInOhio

Most likely.


24 posted on 09/26/2025 8:22:57 PM PDT by No name given ( Anonymous is who you’ll know me as )
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To: butlerweave

Would make a great pair of cowboy boots.


25 posted on 09/26/2025 8:23:59 PM PDT by HighSierra5 (The only way you know a commie is lying is when they open their pieholes.)
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To: DoodleBob

>> I developed an affinity for the reptiles,” [Babtist pastor Silva] said to the news outlet. “I find them very soothing.”

Eve found the serpent’s words to be smooth and convincing too... just sayin’.


26 posted on 09/26/2025 8:31:09 PM PDT by Nervous Tick (Hope, as a righteous product of properly aligned Faith, IS in fact a strategy.)
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To: Dad was my hero

The owner probably went on about how cute the darn thing was...
.
Aarf


27 posted on 09/26/2025 8:31:29 PM PDT by Big Red Badger (ALL Things Will be Revealed !)
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To: DoodleBob

Seems like an effective autotheft feature


28 posted on 09/26/2025 8:34:57 PM PDT by piasa (Attitude adjustments offered here free of charge)
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To: DoodleBob
I take my emotional support platypus pretty much everywhere I go.

We did get kicked out of a Circle K once.


29 posted on 09/26/2025 8:36:13 PM PDT by Allegra (Thank you for your attention to this matter. )
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To: shaggy eel
Crowd fund for it’s teeth to get gold caps and buy some bling bangles for it and it could become a Kardashian reptile.

Like a real reptile

30 posted on 09/26/2025 8:38:41 PM PDT by null and void (The only man in all of Scotland is a 14 year old girl...)
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To: Allegra

>> We did get kicked out of a Circle K once.

Did she lay an egg on the counter or something? :-)


31 posted on 09/26/2025 8:38:48 PM PDT by Nervous Tick (Hope, as a righteous product of properly aligned Faith, IS in fact a strategy.)
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To: goodnesswins

Unless you’re frigging blind and have a dog helping guide you, all this emotional pet crap needs to go. I’m sure there are a few other common sense exceptions.

—Everything in America gets taken to an extreme.

—Everything in America is a fad.

No such thing as common sense or moderation.


32 posted on 09/26/2025 8:40:26 PM PDT by Red6
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To: Red6

>> No such thing as common sense or moderation.

I wonder sometimes — if our Founders could see us now, would they laugh or would they cry? Or just open a can of whoopass on us...


33 posted on 09/26/2025 8:43:22 PM PDT by Nervous Tick (Hope, as a righteous product of properly aligned Faith, IS in fact a strategy.)
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To: pnz1

I couldn’t stomach being regarded as so weak that I couldn’t go out in public without “support”


34 posted on 09/26/2025 8:46:38 PM PDT by j.havenfarm (24 years on Free Republic, 12/10/24! More than 10,500 replies and still not shutting up!)
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To: goodnesswins

Unless the person also has a white cane, every time I see someone with an animal in a store is “Leave your GD dog (or whatever) at home!”


35 posted on 09/26/2025 9:03:03 PM PDT by bigbob (We are all Charlie Kirk now)
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To: DoodleBob

Adorable alligator, never saw acuter one.

I”m my cat’s emotional support animal. Cat “owners” know what I mea


36 posted on 09/26/2025 9:05:28 PM PDT by Veto! (Trump Is Superman)
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To: DoodleBob

Nobody in with crocodile tears yet?


37 posted on 09/26/2025 9:06:08 PM PDT by Palio di Siena (Kralik…..you get the wallet)
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To: Veto!

I have a rescue dog, I know exactly what you mean!


38 posted on 09/26/2025 9:07:01 PM PDT by null and void (The only man in all of Scotland is a 14 year old girl...)
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To: DoodleBob

I want one! 🤣


39 posted on 09/26/2025 9:12:33 PM PDT by CondoleezzaProtege
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To: Veto!

love cats. 🤗🐈


40 posted on 09/26/2025 9:18:32 PM PDT by CondoleezzaProtege
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