The problematic "Emotional Support Alligator" - Our unfiltered thoughts.

Welcome back to 10 Minutes with TickTok! Today we are discussing the viral video on the emotional support alligator and discussing all of the problems alligators face when people keep them as 'pets'.

[@cherylmillard2067]

As someone who requires a service dog for mobility, someone using an fake service or "emotional support" animal angers me. I have worked hard to train my service dog to meet all federal guidelines including the access test. This confuses people and muddies the water between Service Dogs and Emotional Support Animals., also it disseminates misinformation regarding a "federally licensed" animal which does not exist. (see below) Sadly Wally's owner has anthropomorphized his alligator, reptiles do not have human emotions. Below is a comment I left on "Meet Wally: My Emotional Support Gator". Those papers for wally are fake, there is no "federal registration" for "service animals" which this is what it says on the registration paperwork. Go research this, these official looking sites are for people who want to circumvent a "no pets" rules. Disgusting. How do I know this? I require a service dog for mobility. Don't confuse the two, on Wally's card and certificate it clearly states "Service Animal" which can only be a dog or in special cases a miniature horse. CERTIFICATION AND REGISTRATION Q17. Does the ADA require that service animals be certified as service animals? A. No. Covered entities may not require documentation, such as proof that the animal has been certified, trained, or licensed as a service animal, as a condition for entry. There are individuals and organizations that sell service animal certification or registration documents online. These documents do not convey any rights under the ADA and the Department of Justice does not recognize them as proof that the dog is a service animal.

[@TheWorkingAussie]

I have a psychiatric service dog (task trained and not an ESA) and I agree. It's so awful when people bring their ESAs and spread misinformation around. Not to mention, alligators should not be an ESA.

[@brandyabbott1434]

I can not love this enough!!! My seizure alert dog ( Yes he was certified) died a couple yrs ago. Taking him places was stressful bc ppl thought only blind ppl need dogs. I literally had to his papers everywhere I went. But as for ESA they really do give certified dogs super bad names.

[@cherylmillard2067]

@@brandyabbott1434 Please clarify how your seizure alert dog was certified so people aren't further confused. Was it an access test, obedience or training related to your medical condition? I'm not picking on you and I do understand the stress. A seizure or medical alert dog is a service dog and service dogs aren't required to be certified as per the ADA. Usually an official letter from your doctor proves you warrant the use of a service dog but that letter only proves need. A dog's training differentiates a family pet from an actual service dog. Most venues cannot ask you to provide paperwork, airlines are different in that they may require documentation. Amazon has quite a few unscrupulous sellers who sell "certificates" that are supposed to "prove" a dog is a "service or emotional support dog" solely to bypass a no pet clause in leases, transportation as well as restaurants and stores. They also prey on actual service dog teams who may not know the ADA laws that protect them.

[@jansenart0]

All service animals and their handlers should be licensed by state authorities, with fake credentials punished as severely as someone making licenses. I absolutely hate the fakers.

[@brandyabbott1434]

Ok I'm sorry I didn't mean to confuse anyone. My neurologist actually recommended that I look into getting an alert dog 20 something yrs bc my seizures were so bad. Anyhow the dog had to obiedance trained, alert trained, and was required to be vested in public like all service animals. The ADA now has better requirements for seizure alert dogs then they did back then and those laws have changed. The training they go thru is more extisive. I hope that helps clarify some.

[@MiniNymph]

I love the chaotic element of the animals in your videos - a snake trying to climb down the sofa, birds screaming, it's good to be reminded that the animals don't perform for camera. Owning animals isn't some perfect intstagram moment, and it is nice to see the realities even an expert has to deal with.

[@fireinateacup89]

Gotta embrace the chaos! 😋

[@DebNKY]

Crazy bird.

[@JD-ht7yw]

Thank you so much for being an ethical human being. Thank you for respecting these beautiful creatures

[@FloridasWildest]

a HUGE thank you to Art and Soul for sending us a $100 SUPERCHAT ON LIVE! Sorry we didn't get to thank you on live chat, hopefully you see this!

[@PK-xv4bg]

@Wildlife Warrior how about my service cobra

[@PK-xv4bg]

@Wildlife Warrior my cobra is shy little cutie

[@PK-xv4bg]

@Wildlife Warrior cool

[@advancedlamb]

@Wildlife Warrior an elephant could be better trained than an alligator, but their sheer size makes it, obviously, untenable as a service animal. if they were small, it would work.

[@edkiely2712]

@@PK-xv4bg Cobras are perfect emotional-support animals PK! Very affectionate and friendly! Lol!

[@Wdonovan5309]

100% agree with social media training us to be less intelligent. I personally enjoy the longer videos. Thank you both for the interesting and educational content!

[@davek4547]

It’s not just social media. It’s China purposely making us more stupid. The government won’t let kids on social media over there.

[@ghastwriter]

Spot on man.

[@robertalatora9965]

A old neighbor of mine had an alligator, and had it set up the best way he could. But it was way to small, poor thing had no teeth. Broke my heart.

[@robertalatora9965]

And I am from Pennsylvania

[@slynoodle4013]

A great example of how poor care affects an alligator is Rex from Snake Discovery. Emily rescued her from a situation where she had been living in a literal box for over 20 years, and she has a lot of lifelong issues from it. It's also a great spotlight on what bad pets alligators make. Emily is constantly saying not to get one.

[@JD-ht7yw]

Against animal abuse and animal testing. Thank you for caring

[@birdflipper]

This is the first time I've heard about the deformations in captive alligators, and immediately thought about Rex. I've always thought although Rex has the most adorable face, it was obviously different than any gator I've ever seen and now I know why. I also didn't realize Rex was that old. I honestly thought the reason why his face was so short was because he was really young. it's going to be hard to watch his videos now and not feel bad for him but at least he has a good home now.

[@slynoodle4013]

@@birdflipper She has a condition called rubber jaw. If you look back to some older videos, you'll find Emily explaining it better than I could.

[@Ryodraco]

@@birdflipper she was even worse off (her face has improved some over the years with better care), but yes Rex is actually at least middle-aged by alligator standards. 20 years in a box, often in the dark, stunted her growth and led to her retaining the banding color pattern of a baby alligator.

[@njmxjunkie3128]

@@slynoodle4013 rubber jaw is directly caused by mbd

[@spaceybun]

I love the long form content when it comes to topics like this, and especially when I get on KZbin-I’m prepared for longer content! Thanks for talking about this stuff!

[@travisscottgaming6885]

I’m sorry I know this is supposed to be a bit serious but I can’t help but laugh at the birds summoning demons in the background

[@FloridasWildest]

Ugh our lives 😭😭😭

[@codyraebel]

Sometimes I believe being educated when it comes to animals sucks. I worked at a vet clinic for 4 yrs, was a professional dog groomer for 3, I've done dog training, I've worked at farms... Really you name it I've done it. I miss seeing dogs and thinking "that's a cute puppy" and not "what a genetic disaster". It's really hard when you're educated and the general public isnt, and isn't willing to listen to the advice of literal professionals. That being said... I pretend my reptiles love me fully knowing they dont give a shit about me unless its feeding time 😂😂

[@vodkawhisperer3923]

German shepherds ftw

[@rauladdam1717]

Genetic disaster I’m saving that 😂😂 imagine calling someone genetic disaster instead of ugly 😂😂😂

[@DoubleplusUngoodthinkful]

An alligator recently moved into my pond. I also named him "Wally". He's a cool dude (actually, i don't KNOW that he's a dude, but hey, feels better to assume)...very chill...comes when he's called. He's done wonders for my emotional state...but I feel no need whatsoever to get him OUT of the pond, dress him up, or come into physical contact with him in any way.

[@themaskedman8668]

I honestly wouldn't care I like alligators

[@unsocialbutterfly5760]

These laws in America, need to change, I find it disgusting how easily wild animals can be owned over there, we don’t do that here in Australia, and our laws are very strict for very good reasons. I was beyond shocked when I saw native Australian sugar gliders kept as pocket pets in America, that is against the law in Australia and they are NOT pets. People forcing these adorable nocturnal creatures to be out during the day, isolated in someone’s pocket, sold at pet stores with no advice and not even telling people they must be kept in a group 😢 Those poor little creatures, it’s so cruel. I don’t even understand how Americans have kangaroos as pets, how did they even get them in the first place? We don’t have pet kangaroos in Australia, again it’s illegal. All native Australian animals are protected here, and only those licensed as a wildlife shelter or carer, to rescue and rehabilitate them, are allowed to have them in care. Obviously zoos, wildlife parks and sanctuaries also have licenses to have them, but average people having them as pets is not allowed, with the exception of certain reptiles and birds that are bred in captivity. I can’t believe how many people have big cats (Tigers etc) and monkeys in America as well, we don’t do that here either. Seeing monkeys in captivity is one of the saddest things to see, especially when people dress up or put diapers on them, then exploit them on KZbin as something cute. I see a lot of Asian countries doing this as well, but the abuse of animals in Asia is a whole other subject of horrendous cruelty 😢 America though, is far more educated on animals, which is why it surprises me that their laws are so wrong in so many areas of the animal industry. I’m not saying Australia is perfect, far from it, we still need to help animals more, but we do have better laws in place to protect animals than America currently does. Ok my rant is over, I’m passionate too, hence my novel length comment.

[@LauraTeAhoWhite]

I recommend reading the paper 'Given the cold shoulder: a review of the scientific literature for evidence of reptile sentience' published 2019 in the journal Animals by MDPI. The paper reviewed 37 articles relating to reptiles and emotional intelligence. The authors found that the studies had the tendency to assume the emotional states of reptiles (uncritical anthropomorphism). Research on the subject is limited due to human bias and preference towards mammals. Non-human sentience is a new field and understudied. Furthermore research tends to focus on the experience of negative states, such as pain and fear. What studies have found so far is that reptiles are complex, sentient beings that are aware of their environment. This has implications for how reptiles should be kept in captivity. Another finding is that the slow metabolism of reptiles meant that they were able to tolerate poor welfare conditions for longer compared to mammals, which indicates that they are more likely to suffer for longer in captivity. Interestingly, reptile behaviour can be used to identify disease, injury and stress in the same way that mammal behaviour can. Unfortunately indicative behaviours can be ignored in reptiles due to pre-existing perceptions and bias. The conclusion we can make is that we cannot assume what animals like Wally the alligator or Tiktok the snake are thinking in terms of affection, what we do know so far is that we should be providing reptiles with enclosures that provide enrichment, that mimic their natural environment in order to reduce stress.

[@grahamstrouse1165]

Crocodilian are quite intelligent. Although their brain-to-body mass ratio is low their neurons are packed in very, very tightly. They have excellent pattern recognition skills, have pretty complex communication abilities & show some evidence of using tools (for attracting prey, particularly birds.) They’re very intelligent, but their brains are so very different from ours-Theirs is essentially an alien intelligence. Chris is right. We shouldn’t anthropomorphize them.

[@advancedlamb]

I think the best you can do to anthropomorphize them is think of them like sociopaths that seek feed. not sure if truly accurate, but probably accurate for practical purposes

[@LauraTeAhoWhite]

@@advancedlamb More testing would need to be done to confirm this. We also have to aware of potential bias as humans tend to empathize more with other mammals.

[@frizzledg]

be careful with MDPI articles though. its a pay to win and not recommended or accepted anymore by many institutions.

[@lucassmith992]

It’s not even a “they can’t love you” issue, it’s the fact that it’s an ALLIGATOR!!! All it takes is one person to mess with it a bit to much and an alligator is gonna go what an alligator is gonna do. But don’t get me wrong, alligators are awesome. Just like, from a safe distance. Unless you’re Chris lol

[@w7lves]

I seriously have no idea how Wally is so patient, especially while being used as a literal horseback for toddlers.

[@denisenoe3702]

@@w7lves My speculation is that Wally is a kind of miracle of laziness. The knowledge that humans will do the killing for him may have led to an attitude that he doesn't bother with it. But he COULD at any point inflict a terrible injury or even kill one of those children.

[@w7lves]

@@denisenoe3702 that’s really the best explanation. I can’t see even Chris’ best behaved alligators like Casper or Snoopy putting up with all those kids climbing around.

[@denisenoe3702]

@@w7lves Wally's behavior is strange but it outrages common sense to claim a capacity for empathy or compassion.

[@Kai-r6h]

It is though. They can’t love a person, so stop trying to distract that fact

[@JM-wj8en]

I don't think you are negative at all. I think this really interesting and I always appreciate professionals who share their knowledge, even though it's something many people do not necessarily want to hear. Keep up the good work!

[@FloridasWildest]

Thank you!

[@sbellock5]

In Casper's eyes I can see that he loves food.

[@auricia201]

😂

[@frankkali5968]

same

[@Gremlin_Goods]

I appreciate this video and support the longer videos. I got a oscar cichlid when she was a tiny 2 inch baby, max size they can get to 15+ inches. I got her a boy who she got along great with and I was always on top of upping their tank size (from 30g, 55g, 75g, 120g ending in 180g). Everytime I added them to a new tank they would go through a little growth spurt, which was so awesome to see :) Once they were put in the 120 there was no real issue of them outgrowing it, just a desire for them to have more space to explore, which such large smart fish deserve. Some of my friends got into fish (bettas mostly) because they saw how beautiful they can be, almost all of their fish ended up surrendered to me because they failed to understand that these animals require long term care, some for a mere few years but others (such as oscars) for 15-20 years. With life spans like that you must adopt a different thought process when it comes to animals, you are their carer, protection and advocate. Because I had my fish I can understand what you mean about noticing 'subtle' signs of neglect in people's animals as well as your annoyance when it comes to some people's insistence that animals can just adapt to whatever you force upon them. Just because an animal can't verbally complain or didn't cost that much doesn't mean you push the limits of care.

[@FalconMidget]

One of the few reptile channels on KZbin that actually cares for the reptiles. I gladly support you guys and the work y’all do.

[@guardrailbiter]

I demand my own "emotional support Tyrannosaurus Rex." I'll feed my neighbors to him.

[@mel82178]

I love these long form videos where you’re able to go in-depth. Please continue to do them. ❤️

[@daletris]

First off, I love the long form content. I would absolutely listen to a podcast that went even more in depth. But on top of that I have to say it's refreshing to hear someone with real experience say "I know more than you about this particular topic, and here is why". There are too many fake "experts" out there on social media these days. This is the type of content I truly appreciate and wish I saw more of.

[@RoxasLov3r4Ev3r]

I have absolutely 0 interest in reptiles or reptile care but I watched the whole video because how much I agree with what you guys are saying about (especially exotic) animal care and the culture of keeping them as "pets" 😩😩😩 Animals deserve so much more respect and dignity and care than they get from these irresponsible and abusive owners and it makes me so furious!! Thanks for speaking up on it and for making it a long form video, I hope this video gets big later so people can see how harmful these types of videos and owners are :(

[@RoxasLov3r4Ev3r]

I love the long-form videos and I have ADHD 😂 Since the content is informational and interesting there is absolutely no problem with keeping my attention (except for when you guys occasionally go off on tangents, but it's whatever 😂). Thanks so much for being so educational!

[@DebNKY]

You two are not "negative," you're realistic. I'm grateful for your honesty. Thank you. I agree, nobody should be able to buy an alligator. It's just insane.

[@jinxgirl5]

Rex is always the first gator who comes to mind when you do these talks. She was probably the first example I ever saw of how captivity can really do horrible things to their development if you don't give them a proper environment. She also comes to mind a lot when you talk about how Casper, and gators in general, don't love the way we do. Ed and Emily do all the cutesy speech bubbles for Rex and baby talk to her, but they're also consistently very cautious when they have to enter her enclosure and completely honest about why owning an alligator is not a good idea and how they do not make good pets. They've openly stated many times they never wanted to own an alligator, but her situation was just so bad that they couldn't leave her. Ed and Emily are just all-around great, wholesome people. I discovered ya'll only recently, but I've been a huge fan so far. I appreciate the approach of tactful honesty, backed by education and a whole lot of personal experience!

[@ninvusoogoar6098]

well of course, it is still an animal at the end of the day. while their emotions are not as complex as humans reptiles do even show affection, personalities and even a desire to receive affection. my large male black throat monitor is a little over 5ft now, i have to be careful how i enter his space depending on his mood. however, most of the time he is free to roam around the house and will often wait at the front door around the time he knows ill be home from work. constantly scratching at the bedroom door waiting for me to get out of my work clothes and into my "staying in" clothes so we can get on the couch. he will does this nearly every work day and actively desires to "snuggle" and just be around me like how a dog would.I've had him for nearly a decade now since he was a hatchling and due to my work ive been able to work with him constantly. which highly depends on the individual animal. hugo might act more of a dog than a black throat monitor but thats not everyone

[@maryannemascia9958]

Kudos to you both for sticking to your morals and including video content that is both meaningful and honest and not succumbing to the “noise” that the general public craves. You guys are the best!!

[@teijaflink2226]

Animals are innocent and can't really defend themselves and often community how they actually feel that's why it's important to stand on the animals side to protect them from neglect and abuse even if it might hurt someone's feelings. The people who get offended will get over it but so many animals will suffer if there's no one who educates or is on the side of the animals needs.

[@normalnorma4974]

Great advice video. I get so upset by people buying animals and not caring about the future, then they dump them as you said. People should NEVER have alligator pets, its just cruel. Here in U K loads of people got puppies in lockdown, then back to work, oh I can't keep the puppy now. What is wrong with these people 😢.

[@jasonlamar2053]

Just seeing this video. I’ve learned a lot about gators from your channel, because you’re real about them, and not Disney fake! Keep these long ones coming! They add context behind what drives you. I’m 40 and often get irritated too by shorter attention spans from social media outlets. If it means setting up an indoor studio with mics like radio or podcast hosts use for those longer episodes, or to interview guests, that may be worth it. It’s easier to listen to the radio or podcast while multitasking like driving, than watching a video. All the big talk radio hosts and podcasters are proof. And now I’m going long but thought I’d throw this out if you still read comments a year later… haha

[@bellalogan414]

Thank you for continuing to educate people. Please continue. This is how we have "white" tigers, Ligers and how shelters get overrun with chihuahuas after a celebrity carries one in a purse. It happens to wild and domestic animals.

[@debraanderson7086]

Similar with Pit Bulls!

[@crmfilling1960]

It is sad that so many stores sell exotic animals as a family friendly pet when they should not ever be considered a pet. Also sad when you point out states that allow permits so people think oh I want one too and think it's OK everywhere to just go get one to be their friendly house pet without any knowledge or experience. I love your longer more explanatory videos. Love what you guys are planning and doing for educational reasons for the animal protection. Great job teaching the truth not hiding behind myths for views and profit.

[@AndyArmstrong88]

Chris just casually wearing a snake as a necklace 🐍

[@melainarose]

I could listen to you both talk about animals all day! You both are so real, informative and honest. As someone who lives/ grew up solely on the west coast, we mostly just hear these stories and see crazy headlines in the news of what is going on in Florida with animals. It is so refreshing to see this channel and know that people truely want to do good by the animals. It is sick how we abuse animals for attention!

[@aszxqwerdfcvbnm]

I almost never comment on KZbin videos, but I wanted to say the long form "vodcast" style is great!

[@RobbedTheBank]

Thank you both for another very rational, educational approach to these issues. You're not just dunking on the guy for cheap laughs. You're going into the full science behind why you disagree withg his approach.

[@danielleshavik7882]

I loved this - Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge and insights, and for trying to open people's eyes up to the truth behind some of these situations. I thoroughly enjoy the longer discussions and I appreciate the efforts that you two put in. Thanks for being awesome!! ❤

[@maryannevig8328]

I just found you! This is my new favorite channel!! I watched your entire video and appreciate the info and that y’all use your platform to share this stuff so people know!! You both are fantastic! Keep it up!!

[@selinamattocks]

Im an animal lover big time, but i will not get one as i do not have the time to commit to them. I agree with everything your saying. Even as knowledgeable as you both are, your still learning everyday. You are only saying it straight and as it is. Thats what i appreciate so much about you both ❤

[@MordorProject]

« emotional support animals » is such an American concept . It’s so ridiculous. I mean when the whole world deals with hard times and shut up about it; Americans bitch and moan and refuses to face that life is difficult. So they need “ emotional support ”. How silly of them 🙄

[@RAVEN_SPRING_]

Snake: I shall now become a hat 🐍

[@wallacemeoski2440]

Alligator bigotry. Alligators need love.

[@harryschneider1760]

Love you guys....thanks for all you do n the love u have for animals ❤

[@박앤디-v2e]

I love the long informative videos very much. Your channel is an educational one and i really appreciate all the work you've both done! And I agree too, our attention span is getting shorter and shorter through tiktok, yt shorts, and ig reels. I think youtube started the whole attention span thing too, with the super cuts of a lot of vlogging channels. I recently noticed I clicked off on some videos because they didnt do a lot of cuts and my now trained short attention span made the video seem boring. I love learning new things and entertainment through all your videos. I've been bingeing so much! I love all your pets and both of you ❤️ Keep it up! I definitely like this podcast-style content! :)

[@jennabragg3046]

Love the educational videos. Considering these videos are for educational purposes, I don't think they are long at all! Keep'em coming!

[@FloridasWildest]

Glad you like them!

[@MousyBScrappin]

I love that you are so proactive about undoing the ridiculous anthropomorphism that so many of us Americans have adopted from media . Please keep up the good work guys.

[@bushidoe9634]

As a person who was born and raised in Florida my ENTIRE life. i have always had a passion and love for Crocs/Alligators. They have been my favorite animal since i was a child. a true life long passion. I would watch videos as a child of people training them with clicking noises to open and close their mouths on command. Ive watched your videos of them remembering their names, i thought if i could get one as a hatchling and train it i could have a lifelong pet that im SO SO passionate about. my goal was to get a house with a huge backyard and dedicate my entire backyard to it. this video has opened my eyes on that is no longer my dream. i love the animals, id never want to bring them misery or discomfort. even if i know myself and how much i would LOVE it. thank you for this video and shedding light on the situation of raising your own alligator. looking at it objectively, it is very selfish of me to even have those desires. i will take your advice to heart. I can still finds ways to love the animals that im so passionate about. Without owning them. Thank you again for all the amazing work you both do, im a big fan of your channel and work. Much love.

[@DiesesMax]

👍💪

[@BillDaBigChief]

Consider the fact that these people in this video own several alligators as pets.

[@VioletTarantula]

I have been trying to get people to understand that Joie has not cared for Wally well. He puts his own emotional needs before the physical needs of his pet. He said Wally "doesn't like the heat" and feeds him mostly chicken filets. Wally isn't calm and friendly ... He's cold, lethargic and malnourished. He's stunted at 4ft, he should be bigger at 8 years old!

[@racheloftopeka]

i live in kansas, and 6 or 7 years ago there was an alligator in Lake Shawnee. They think somebody had a pet and released and it terrified people for several days. it wouldn't have survived the winter but animal control worked with some (probably from out of state) experts and captured this little alligator and moved him to somewhere. i wish i could remember where, i'm almost certain he went to florida.

[@racheloftopeka]

i felt so sorry for the alligator but i still can't swim in that lake.

[@RMYLIA]

very informative, I never even knew about MBD for Alligators and even thought having a giant fat head was normal for an older alligator, glad to have learned something.

[@willkoester2182]

I watched this original video not long ago, and I was just meantally screaming "THIS IS NOT RIGHT!!! CHRIS! DO SOMETHING!!!"

[@brainnotbright1563]

same same

[@garrettaguilar9712]

5 years no incident tell me the amount of times yours or a friends of your dog has nipped you. Keep crying Karen

[@dawnb1561]

Great video Chris and Gabby. I think you presented the info very professionally. Love the longer vids, with educational info, new rescues, whatever you two want to share and hearing the lovely birds have their say. Lol!

[@Basey]

I love the way you two teach! It's so frustrating to me that it gets called being "negative" when you're really just being "realists" and teaching people the truth. Always such a shame when animals have to suffer due to the ignorance and carelessness of humans.

[@Jingleschmiede]

Why are there no emotional support sheeps ? :) 2 hours in a herd of sheeps will make you happy. And you don't get killed.

[@denisenoemyschizotypaldiso3755]

When I first saw Wally, I believed strongly that the owner was irresponsible for not putting something around the mouth to prevent a bite. And he takes this animal to meet children! That is WRONG!

[@denisenoemyschizotypaldiso3755]

@Boston Gal Actually, Wally is often in public. I personally believe he should not be allowed to go everywhere he does and especially not without something to ensure he does not bite.

[@TheWorkingAussie]

Not to mention, ESAs cannot legally go in non-pet friendly places, since they're not service animals. There's also no such thing as certification for ESAs or service dogs, in the US. Wally's owner said the gator was "federally licensed as an ESA", which isn't a real thing. Only dogs and mini horses can be service animals, per ADA law. So he's bringing his pet alligator into non-pet friendly public, which is not okay. It definitely hurts us service dog handlers who need their dog for our disabilities. There needs to be more laws on ESAs, restrict the species that can be ESAs, instead of just letting any animal be an ESA. Alligators are wild animals, and definitely should not be allowed in pet stores.

[@FloridasWildest]

Great point

[@cherylmillard2067]

Hoping For The Day, I totally agree with you as a Service Dog handler, it's a huge responsibility. I also noticed Wally's paperwork was for a "Service Dog" which there is no national registry.

[@cherylmillard2067]

@@FloridasWildest I finally got my comment to stay up, I had to post the links as a reply.

[@ab2aasd]

Love the longform stream of consciousness content, please keep it coming

[@thrilloasis]

Don’t think a guy with a snake wrapped around his neck could talk about safety with dangerous animals 🤣🤣🤣

[@ibadtoo5632]

Found your channel about 6 months ago through Chris Facebook reels. Crazy almost a year later exactly you guys posted a video about buying your dream property. Been binge watching every video on your channel from the beginning since I found it.

[@zzzl5341]

I love these types of videos!! I can sit here and watch you guys literally for hours, honestly I'm learning so much about what I didn't know before, and it's fascinating! Please do more longer form videos!

[@belegarironhammer3200]

Thanks for commenting on that absurdity. It's great that the gater "helped" that man recover, but he should be prepared to bring the animal to a zoo at some point, which I fear he isn't.

[@jigsawproductions6171]

I watched the video about Wally the Alligator before I discovered this channel. I thought that Wally liked/loved his owner. After I learned more about Crocodilians (including alligators), I rewatched the Wally the Alligator video again, and the sad truth is that Wally doesn’t “love” that guy.

[@Reddishty]

wait, you actually thought he would love him? its just a cool pet, it is emotional support but dont expect it to lick you. it can surely give more affection than what a smaller reptile can give, but its still a different type of affection, not love.

[@jigsawproductions6171]

@@Reddishty Not really affection, I would say, he’s just non aggressive.

[@sunnyhippiesmusic]

Lmao come on the web saying , “there is no love!” These people aren’t expert and neither are you! If you observe and feel love, there is love How can you or anyone else say that reptiles are incapable of love. Silly.

[@ninvusoogoar6098]

@Jake Folk not really true. try telling that to my big male black throat monitor who will actively get mad if we dont have couch time when i come home from work (he is a free roam monitor who has access to his cage for basking/warmth in the winter months which is a large room i turned into his enclosure with a doggie door wide enough for him). reptiles can feel affection i know that for a fact, ive seen it with many of the reptiles i own. of course its not like human affection the way we know/experience it, but they can feel affection and also give it. fact i have to fight him off me when i get home from work so he wont ruin my work clothes tells me he does (he will wait at the living room window waiting for me to drive up the driveway which is always in the shade, to then bolt to the garage door for me to come in and interact with him. he also wants to be held like a small child even though he is approaching nearly 5.5ft) but like i tell those i work with and who come over to chill, dont think this is something you will get from a monitor right out the gate for not every monitor is the same and they require a constant amount of time investment to get them that trained and tamed down so they trust people.

[@ninvusoogoar6098]

@Jake Folk before calling others a smooth brain, you might want to think before typing....... As adjectives the difference between tame and trained is that tame is not or no longer wild; domesticated while trained is having undergone a course of training (sometimes in combination). and seeing hugo was wild caught and later rescued by me he was thus tamed down from being hyper-aggressive/shy now to a point he became accustomed to me and other people. which THEN began his training to do more precise things like pooping in his room or in one of the dirt boxes around the house (which he does like 90% of the time and improving) and not playing/tearing my shoes up. i suggest you learn the definition of tamed and trained before you post a comment and look rather foolish and ignorant. some more for your own education tame- (v. t.) To broach or enter upon; to taste, as a liquor; to divide; to distribute; to deal out. (superl.) Reduced from a state of native wildness and shyness; accustomed to man; domesticated; domestic; as, a tame deer, a tame bird. (superl.) Crushed; subdued; depressed; spiritless. (superl.) Deficient in spirit or animation; spiritless; dull; flat; insipid; as, a tame poem; tame scenery. (a.) To reduce from a wild to a domestic state; to make gentle and familiar; to reclaim; to domesticate; as, to tame a wild beast. and of course train- (this one had too many so here are a couple) (v. t.) To draw along; to trail; to drag. (v. t.) To draw by persuasion, artifice, or the like; to attract by stratagem; to entice; to allure. (v. t.) To teach and form by practice; to educate; to exercise; to discipline; as, to train the militia to the manual exercise; to train soldiers to the use of arms. (v. t.) To break, tame, and accustom to draw, as oxen. now hopefully you can move past your ignorance here and next time when you try to correct someone in the future about this subject you will have the following A) the correct information at hand B) the info/ability to properly assess if someone does indeed not know the difference. and lets not forget C) be less rude while doing it, that is what told me you likely didnt understand the difference yourself but instead parroted what you heard from youtubers like these.

[@Skateboarding79]

Thank you for doing this video. So many people buy pets that should never be pets. They are meant to be wild and free. I am so glad you rescue the nuisance animals and animals that people have messed up in captivity. I am totally against having wildlife as pets. You provide so much good education and I appreciate you.

[@AGamersWorld1993]

I love how educational your videos are. I'm against animal abuse myself. I love educating myself on Wild animals so I can respect them, but also enjoy there beauty from afar. Keep making videos guys. 🙂

[@priscilaundomiel3264]

🤯 Wow, now that you are talking about the metabolic bone problem, I remember the Barcelona's zoo. All alligators there have these kind of open teeth. They are not normal, even their faces. I know that there are many zoos that don't really care about the condition of the animals and the Barcelona's zoo is one of the example. Actually all animals there are not in a good situation. It's a very stressful place for the animals. This is sad because the zoos should be a place to protect and teach about animals and environment, but unfortunately it's use as a escape for negligent parents who want to entertain their kids and they have no idea how to manage them. Animals always suffer because of us. I am ashamed to be human. They don't deserve what always happen to them 😢

[@theanonymousmrgrape5911]

In Wally’s case specifically, I don’t feel like it was quite such a bad thing for his caretaker to have taken him, as the only alternative was for him to be euthanized as a nuisance gator.

[@FloridasWildest]

Our entire page is about rescuing nuisance alligators. We quite literally go out and catch them. His story does not make sense. Anything under 4 feet has to get relocated. So if it was caught as a nuisance alligator as a baby it would be relocated. It doesn’t make sense. And you don’t see us taking any of our rescue alligators swimming with children or to the pet store.

[@Sandra-A]

I own two alligators. One named „Schleich“ and one named „Safari“ 😉 Both live sitting on my living room cabinet. Easy to keep. Now and again a little dusting. No feeding. 😀 (hope people catch on) And that‘s the way it should be. For the real thing I come to you guys 💚🐊 Keep it up the good work 👍

[@lahi403]

I'm originally from Florida and live in Pennsylvania now. I've been near Wally but refused to get near his face at all, and I've spent the past five years telling everyone to stop letting their children put their hands into Wally's mouth to feel his teeth and swim with Wally in pools, etc. Now that he's missing in Georgia, fortunately no one will be bitten because of gross neglect. The owner blames a prankster every time his gators get loose. Not just one, he also had a female named Hope that I'm not really sure is still with him or not.. She was hit by a car when a supposed prankster let her out. In 2021, that dang prankster let Wally out. Then in Georgia, Wally was taken on vacation without permits, was released by that prankster that seems to follow them, and was trapped and released. Joie didn't report for a full week that his alligator was missing. DNR won't reveal where Wally was released. I'm hoping beyond hope that they took him to a sanctuary. As Wally has obvious signs of being held in captivity for a long period of time, I don't think any wildlife professional from Georgia would have released him since he would likely become a nuisance animal and is not equipped to survive in the wild. I'd love an update video from you.

[@shaund9759]

As a wildlife rehabber, mainly rehabilitating opossums (now in vet school), I used to get so many in who suffered from MBD due to diet for people trying to keep them as "pets". It was always very heartbreaking because the animal suffers and they are at the complete mercy of their "owners". PS - Just found yopur channel and love your content and what you guys do. I'll def be down for one of your alligator tours.

[@heatherhorton2547]

Looks like people disagree on the number of species of penguins. I am not at all an expert. Some may be subspecies etc. 1. African black-footed penguin 2. Northern rockhopper 3. King Penguin 4. Adélie penguin 5. Fairy penguin 6. Yellow-eyed penguin 7. Chinstrap penguin 8. Magellanic penguin 9. Southern rockhopper penguin 10. Macaroni penguin 11. Australian little penguin 12. Emperor penguin 13. Snares crested penguin 14. Galápagos penguin 15. Erect-crested penguin 16. Royal penguin 17. Humboldt penguin 18. Eastern rockhopper penguin 19. Fiordland penguin 20. Allied king penguin 21. Gentoo penguin - Northern, Southern, Eastern, South Georgia…. White-flipper penguin, Cook Strait little penguin, North Island little penguin, Chatham Island little penguin

[@AllbuttJ]

I wouldn't support an Alligator. Hey I am a Veteran. What ever floats your boat. I have 3 cats 🐈. None which ever leaves my backyard. To promote it isn't right. I wouldn't have a snake around my neck. TikTok can bite. Dude is living life with Wally..... I can't judge. People have Tigers- Sharks 🦈. You should look up the Earth Cam- People are feeding bears 🐻. The bear is eating all the birdseed. Live FREE . Like committing a crime. Take your chances. ✌️

[@ZillaTheTegu]

A beneficial thing that comes from things like Wally the Gator, is that it reduces peoples fears of the animal. Kind of like a person thats afraid of snakes, and they kill any snake they might come across, but if they hold a snake and learn about it, that its not a bloodthirsty monster like in movies, they will become more tolerant of snakes. So for Wally, it would be very important to emphasize that not just anyone can keep a gator as a pet, to reduce the mass "Oh hes cute I wanna buy a gator now" that people feel. But I do feel that showing that Wally is not a bloodthirsty killer does have the positive effect of teaching people gators are not monsters and are very misunderstood. As far as Casper goes, I will agree that he doesnt love you in the same way a human or a dog may love, but I would say he loves you in the way a gator can love. Meaning that its not the same kind of love. So the word 'love' is misleading. It could be described more as familiarity, or comfortableness, or tolerance. I find it hard to believe, that an animal as smart as Casper, would feel exactly the same towards all humans he sees. He has a level of comfortableness with you because of the time and work you have spent with him, that he would not have with others humans. Thats what I would call 'gator love'. Its not that he wants to cuddle, its more that hes comfortable with you occupying the same space and not feeling threatened, allowing you to touch and hold him. And for videos, make them as long as they need to be.

[@landonray9517]

I agree and disagree. We should have a level of fear with gators, to steer clear of them. I don't think that the killing snake analogy is completely accurate, because it's a lot harder to kill a gator than to kill a snake. The thing I'm worried about is people getting too comfortable with gators, which can cause uninformed people to start trying to get up super close to gators, feed them, try to hold their babies because they're cute, etc.

[@zariballard]

Well, it's not "beneficial" for people to NOT be afraid of gators.

[@ZillaTheTegu]

@Weyland Punani There is a difference between respecting a dangerous animal, and being afraid of one. When you respect it, you leave it alone and dont bother it. When you fear it, you blow its head off with a shotgun. Animals like sharks, gators, snakes, are killed all the time simply out of irrational fear. I had a friend once that was terrified of snakes. He would smash one whenever he saw one with a rake. Even harmless little garden snakes. I forced him to hold a corn snake, to show him it wasnt a monster. And now he doesnt kill snakes anymore. So showing people that a gator is just an animal that you can coexist with as long as you respect it, and dont have to be deathly scared of it, will help prevent those animals from being unnecessarily slaughtered.

[@xymzk]

He's exposing people to the gator without consent including children. That's not a good thing. Are people killing gators because they are scaring them at a impactful level? I doubt it, so there's no upside. People should be taught to keep their distance because they can be dangerous. This keeps both the humans AND the animals safe. If people think it's okay to not fear them and approach them, guess what can happen to the animal. This is such an incredibly bad take and anyone who liked your comment is an idiot.

[@ZillaTheTegu]

@@xymzk There is a difference between fear and perception. Teaching people that gators are not the bloodthirsty monsters they see in movies is important. The same way that teaching that great white sharks are not murder machines, or that snakes are evil. Hes teaching that they are animals, and are unjustly hated by society. He does not teach that having them as a pet is ok, nor to disrespect them in the wild. The man fully acknowledges that Wally is unique, and extremely rare. And I dont know what you mean about 'exposing without consent'. Hes not forcing anyone.

[@meabenson8268]

Great video. I was born before the age of the internet so I do have an attention span that can handle long videos. I learned a lot about the idea of pet alligators and now have a new perspective. I now understand how wrong it is to have pet alligators whereas before this video I didn’t think it was horrible for certain people like Wally’s owner. And I'm not saying that Wally’s owner is bad. Im saying I now understand that it is not a great situation for Wally’s health. Please keep doing what you do!

[@mikeymorales]

Says the guy with a snake wrapped round his neck ,,, an ultimate,,, no no .

[@Doom_Squid_Son]

Exactly lmao. You can't make this sht up! 🤣🤣🤣

[@gnrvintagediecastracing7978]

When Wally went missing, I figured it was staged. That he had gotten to big and no longer as chill. I dont believe he was "stolen" i believe he was let go back into the wild.

[@khorneschosen7561]

I agree with Gabby ,chimps are the one animal that terrifies me.

[@MoistOwlettes]

Lmao. I love how you’re just talking with a python climbing your face and it just looks totally normal.

[@annabellenolan2682]

I met Wally and went to get a picture and the owner had Wally do his nestle trick where Wally puts his snout on my shoulder and I realized how stupid I was but was frozen in shock at what was happening. Afterwards I asked his owner had him since a hatchling and he said Wally was caught in the wild in Florida about a year or 2 prior.

[@JD-ht7yw]

is he ok?

[@garrettaguilar9712]

@@JD-ht7yw completely fine has now owned the alligator for 5 years with no incidents and has never shown any signs of aggression

[@ninvusoogoar6098]

@Jake Folk same can be said about cats, dogs, ferrets and other animals. garrett never said wally was not capable of aggression bud was just stating a fact about that gator. hell my male black throat monitor hugo is like that, acts more like a dog than a monitor lizard (constantly wants attention, if i am sitting on the couch even for a second he is already on my lap/chest ready for after work cuddles) but just because he is extremely friendly that doesnt mean ill let kids be alone with him or have me or anyone let their guard down with him. who knows why wally is so calm and friendly towards humans, who knows why that reef shark that would swim around hilton head beach would swim up to people and interact with us wanting attention and touch, frankly i think its down the individual animal and their experiences.

[@ericguner]

@@ninvusoogoar6098 I really think this comment is to be looked at and thought about. How do we know what Wally is thinking? I say leave it alone as long as no one is hurt. The Alligator is well fed and taken care of. Maybe God sent the man a very special Alligator for just that moment in his life and now he has decided to share his experience with the Alligator to the world. Should it be replicated? I wouldn't think so. But, let him and his pet Wally live their lives in peace. Maybe the old guy is just a little off but, not everyone thinks the same way or feels the same about his Alligator. Freedom is what America is all about.

[@ninvusoogoar6098]

@@ericguner well really doesnt matter what people feel, feelings are not facts.

[@Amiegala]

I greatly appreciate this long form content. I could listen to y’all speak on these topics forever. Thanks for spreading this information.

[@sbellock5]

I don't mind the long form, I literally watch a guy pushing dirt for 50 minutes.

[@KnaveRain]

Post10?

[@sbellock5]

@@KnaveRain let'sdig18

[@shopokefrignugget2027]

This is my first time coming across your channel and I really like the longer video style with in depth details and explanations. It's easier to learn about things in a longer format than trying to cram it all into a short time frame, and you can't get points across the same way in that format - things won't sit with people if they don't get the time to think about it. Your video is really informative and I hope to find more videos like yours. I really enjoy the open discussion you have not just for the audience but with each other. It helps me think about the topics more than flat out information would.

[@2lipToo]

I completely agree and it's always the animal who suffers for the stupidity of humans.

[@xslayer14]

The gator Wally is far from suffering. kzbin.info/www/bejne/nnvCkoSdgLWdnpI

[@LegitEliminator]

I have important question about Wallie that I was wondering if you can clarify on - during news interview, Wallie's owner briefly showed how non-aggressive he is by putting his fingers in Wallie's mouth and Wallie didnt bite him or showed any aggression towards him. Is this because, Wallie knows it isnt food or a form of "respect" Wallie has towards his owner? I seen a case about another owner having similar relationship with Common snapping turtle aswell and I figure your probably the best source to talk too on the matter.

[@erlandaislund4594]

I wonder if they are smart enough to realise: I know this guy. He is the one who brings me food. Eating him would end that service, so i will not eat him.

[@terminalfrost3645]

I genuinely shocked that you can just get a alligator as a pet like a hamster in that state Pennsylvania, cruel.

[@benzelwasington4059]

Well after all They rise Than for eating as well

[@axr6327]

I’m becoming more and more convinced that the vast majority of human beings should not own animals at all.

[@meganmiller1425]

I just love watching you ... destroying my hopes and dreams one video at a time 🤣🤣🤣🥺🥺🥺

[@bigdeal6852]

I agree... people shouldn't have Alligators as pet's or Python snakes as pets. They can be harmful or bad for society (especially kids) and most people don't take care of either of them properly. Then they just release them into the wild. 🤷

[@jeffbrownstain]

Keep calling it Ten Minutes with Tiktok, but make it as long as you want. I watched the entire 30+ minutes and I prefer longer content if it's like this. Casper Questions is better as shortform videos. Don't stress about the production, you guys are doing decent from outside perspective. Don't worry on analytics too much, just do your thing as much as able and you'll keep your steady growth. Stay kind to each other 🥰

[@marisaluckow7080]

Who else thinks Gabby looks like Lady Gaga ? Beautiful

[@wandadawnmiller1552]

Thank you for doing this video. Someone needs to call this scammer scumbag out. I live in PA and know all about Wally the "emotional support alligator." Joie Henny, the owner, is a fraud. He's figured out how to make money off of that alligator and it's sickening. I've done a lot of research on him and apparently he used be quite the nasty fellow. He paralyzed a man by "knocking him out" for fun. Henny actually tells the story in an interview with The Guardian. I'm a trauma impacted person living with complex PTSD, depression, severe anxiety, ADD, and suicidal ideation. I also have fibromyalgia. I went through hours of testing to get diagnosed. I take medication and see a therapist weekly. Last year, I was adopted by a stray cat that has become my emotional support animal. I can tell you the process to get Rogue documented was a process. I had to get a letter from doctor, then I had to write a request for a reasonable accommodation and submit it to my landlord. I had help from a disability expert, so I followed proper procedure. Emotional Support Animals are NOT protected under the Americans with Disabilities Act. ESAs fall under the Fair Housing Act. However, the person with a documented disability will be protected by the ADA. Emotional Support Animals are considered extensions of the person who owns them, so all liability falls on the owner. ESAs are NOT "federally licensed" that's complete bs! Nor is there a way to "register" an ESA. Again, it's BS. Tags, vests, and cards, like Henny uses on Wally are also bogus and just causes confusion and headaches for folks who use service animals (i.e., seeing eye dogs.) ESAs are also not permitted in restaurants, stores (unless it's a pet supply store or something) and other public venues. ESAs can fly on airplanes under certain circumstances, but I doubt any responsible airline would allow a 5 foot alligator to sit next to its owner. The only two reasons to have an animal documented as an ESA is if the owner is renting from a pet prohibited property or to take them on a plane. The ESA must also be used to address a symptom of the person's disability. The doctor's letter must also be updated yearly. Henny appears to own his house, so he doesn't even need a letter from his doctor. Furthermore, he's said in numerous interviews that he no longer has depression. Thus, if he's no longer "disabled" then there's no need for an emotional support animal. I even contacted him and directly confronted him about all these issues. I explained that he's making a mockery out of assistance/service animals and making it hard on those who are trulying disabled. He told me to "BACK OFF!" And, that Wally is "legal." I believe this guy saw a way to make a quick buck and took it. He charges for Wally to make appearances and claims he uses part of him profits to "feed the homeless." When asked if he has a non-profit, he refuses to answer. The dude was on television so he knows how it works. My ESA never leaves the apartment. He's always by my side. I feel bad for Wally and will do what I can to expose Henny for the fraud he is. Btw, Henny's latest marketing scheme is a KZbin channel with Wally. Disgusting!

[@xymzk]

👏👏👏👏 Yes! I was really put off by the fact that he was exposing members of the public to his unmuzzled gator without consent. Including in bodies of water where children were swimming, at a splash pad children use in a city park, on a bus, and when he goes to the hospital! As you mentioned, he exposed people to get attention for a contest with a cash prize and to raise funds. I also pointed out what was wrong with what he was doing and he said that he does it behind a table with people's permission. His own vids show that's a massive lie. It's so selfish and in some comments he made it clear that he continues to do this including once it's bigger (not that it's okay now). Something seemed so off to me about him and it's messed up that he got so much media attention that doesn't even point out that what he's doing is not okay. It's extremely inconsiderate of other people's emotions to expose them to a gator, so something seemed really off about him to me. And yes, as you pointed out this can make things harder for people with conditions. People try to justify it based on issues with dogs, but irresponsible dog owners are also an issue and obviously don't justify this action. Including ones who justify their not professionally trained emotional support animal being off leash (with no actual reason for that). I got attacked by a dog whose dog was off leash years ago and I saw the same owner recently. He said that his dog who was off leash again was okay. Well it was obviously not when it bit me and he ran away. He actually owes me money for property damage. Ugh. I'm going to look into the info you've found. It's so messed up.

[@KathySong1]

And now he’s been stolen and released into the wild. Just like the creators here said can happen when they reach a certain size. There’s a go fund me, too 😒

[@denisenoemyschizotypaldiso3755]

I Wally the emotional support animal and was appalled. The owner has completely anthropomorphized this animal. He treats the alligator like a dog or a person. Wally doesn't have the normal life of an alligator and he i in fact very dangerous when he is taken to meet children. It is bad for the kids -- and for Wally.

[@Thumper130]

“Edit that bit out!” Boy knew he got it wrong!!! Love you two and all you do for the animals. If I get to Florida next year as I hope to ( I have family in the keys) I am definitely gonna wanna come hang out with you guys and learn from you. I have a pretty good connection to wildlife it’s always been there but would love to learn from you guys …and obviously swim with Casper! But seriously you guys are awesome and thank you from the animals of this world, il always give to the find whenever I can xx

[@hfjtrytry9216]

To me this sounds more like the fact that most people with pet alligators are morons, rather than the fact you cant look after one if you had it as a pet. its also worth noting that all animals were wild at one point before we made some of them domesticated. Personally no animals except those already domesticated should be pets or put in zoos/cages. Also how can we claim that certain animals enjoy being told what to do and some dont? How do we know this? I am aware that dogs and cats release hormones when stroked but if a fellow cat or dog did the same I assume it would have the same affect.

[@michaelmonthei8019]

Can a captive alligator that has stunted growth (MBD), start to regain the growth if they are starting to be cared for properly? I would assume the MBD is irreversible. So once the care improves, the MBD does not get worse, but does not get better either.

[@Riceball01]

I don't think that it's possible. Emily and Ed at Snake Discovery own a 20 something year old alligator that has pretty severe MBD from living in a box for all its life until it was rescued. It has a slightly upturned snout and is undersized and as far as I know, it hasn't grown an inch since it was rescued, but I think that its nose has gotten slightly better.

[@nicolegoodew1547]

@@Riceball01 her face has straightened out a lot compared to when they first got her. Its still curved but not as badly. She has grown in length and girth as well. Shes in their zoo and there are plans to have an open area for her outside in the summer

[@mikefuller1497]

Hillbilly's in the bathtub with alligators. 😆That's great. You speak the truth. It is so hard to keep your mouth shut when you know how misguided some people are. I did use a harsher word but changed it. I have gotten in trouble for speaking my mind on Facebook. Telling the truth no matter how hard it is for them to hear and explaining the drastic problems it causes with their health might change someone's mind about keeping one they have or getting one in the first place. Thanks for having the educational format that you do and trying to educate people about these things.

[@justingraham6596]

This is so therapeutic! I finally am able to attend a live stream and it feel so, so good :) You two are amazing by the way. One of a few on KZbin that actually make a difference in the world. Your duo assists both animals and humans, which is making such a huge impact on our society and world as a whole. I'm just so impressed by your experiences and the lessons in which you teach us how to behave and react with and around wild animals, and even domesticated ones. There's so much I want to say, yet I don't want to swamp you with an essay type message. Thank you so much Chris and Gabby for all you've done with your lives. You spend your time productively and inspire us to be better people.

[@OneTrueNobody]

That "let people be happy" attitude really grinds my gears, because like... it's as if some people would rather the general public be blissfully ignorant, hurting animals (and possibly themselves) along the way, than take a realistic view of what animal behavior means and what humans need to understand to truly connect with animals. But these are living creatures; they are what they are. If you truly want to love animals, if you truly want to care for them, then it needs to be unconditional. You need to accept them as they are, with all the realities that come with that. If you cannot do that, then your love for animals will always be tinted with selfish disregard. The animals shouldn't have to love us back for us to care about them. That is an expectation that is only fair to hold of other humans.

[@auricia201]

Yes, long informational videos, please! Thank you 🙂

[@hannahdunlap8131]

Omg I love the snake. He’s like “oh don’t mind me” lol

[@KiyahPrettyBOMB]

I dnt think Wally and wallys owner were telling or promoting other people to buy or adopt alligators. I didn’t get that at all from the videos of them

[@erinmeehan1052]

Great educational video. I hadn't heard of "emotional support" alligators until recently when Wally popped up in my feed for be denied entrance to a ball game. That isn't safe for the public nor for the animal. Alligators are not appropriate to serve as ES animals. You're so right... they don't love us like my dog loves me. My dog is imprinted on me. As far as I am aware, alligators don't imprint on humans. I'm completely against wild or exotic animals being sold in pet stores. It doesn't help the species to do so.

[@kathoakes929]

I agree with everything you say about wild animals. Even our dogs can turn on us after years of being the best behaved animal. But they still have that wild streak.

[@nefas909]

It's often hard to make that understood by people. I have long discussions with people that say "I love dogs and I want to cuddle them, even the dog I don't know" and I'm trying to make them understand that the best for everyone is to leave dogs you don't know alone. It's very easy to look like someone that hates animals when you say to leave them alone unless you really know what you're doing (like with your own dog/cat or if you're trained in handling wild animals).

[@kathoakes929]

@@nefas909 yes some people just don't want to hear it.

[@redrick8900]

No. Dogs that do that have been horribly traumatized or have brain lesions.

[@808Fee]

Wally allegedly just got stolen out of a backyard in Georgia. The owner took him there without a permit and then he suddenly disappeared. The story keeps changing and some things sound more than dodgy. Not sure what happened rot the poor little guy.