'Help Is Needed': Wallygator, Beloved Emotional Support Alligator, Stolen!

A popular emotional support alligator named Wallygator has been gator-napped, and his owner is asking the public for help finding him.

The 8-year-old American alligator, adopted by reptile enthusiast Joie Henney in 2016, is a licensed emotional support animal. He was stolen out of his pen while visiting friends in Brunswick, GA.

A Facebook post shared by Henney on Saturday morning asking for help shares the details of this sad situation.

"Help is needed!!!! Wally has been stolen. No this is not a joke. He was taken from his pen on Sunday the 21st sometime between 4:30 am to 7:00 am while in Brunswick Georgia," the Facebook post revealed.

"Walking searches have been being conducted to no avail. If anyone sees or hears anything please contact Joie directly. Any help is appreciated. Thank you."

Many of Wally's loyal followers shared their sadness and concern in the comment section of the post.

"Bring Wally back home! Poor guy is probably scared," one person wrote.

Another added, "What a terrible thing to do! We hope he is found in short order and whoever is responsible is brought to justice!"

While Henney and Wally are in Georgia visiting friends, the unthinkable happened.  While staying at their friend's house, Wally has an outdoor enclosure with access to the house so he can roam around.

Henney told The Blast exclusively that when he got back to the house after fishing last Sunday morning, Wally was there. Henney stood near him and chatted with him before going into the house. Shortly after, Henney went to sleep and when he woke up at 7 a.m., he said he didn't hear anything outside.

"When I went out at 8 a.m., Wally was gone," Henney told The Blast. "We checked to see if he might have escaped somewhere, but there was nowhere he could have escaped."

Henney's friend's wife said she saw the motion light go on a few times but didn't think anything of it.

"Now we know somebody went through the yard and went into Wally's yard and got him and took him out," Henney said.

Many Facebook supporters asked in the comment section of the post revealing Wally was stolen if cameras could have possibly picked up anything, but Henney said there were no cameras in that area that could have seen anything happening.

Since not many people knew where Henney and Wally were staying, it brings up the question of whether this could be a targeted situation or if it's just a random one.

"I know we have people that's often said, 'If we get a chance we're gonna get Wally and turn him back into the wild.' I truly hope they don't do that because Wally doesn't kill anything," he continued.

"He will not bite anything alive, so that means he might live two years because he's healthy but then he's gonna die of hunger."

Henney said someone reached out to him via text that could possibly be a lead, but it's not completely clear at this point.

"There's about a 30-year-old man that knows me, and I have no idea who knows me down here except for my friends, who said they have Wally in their basement or in their house," he said. "They're supposed to get back to me and give me more information, but I've not heard anything since."

There is a reward for Wally's safe return, no questions asked.

"We just want Wally back," Henney said.

Wally's owner shares photos and videos of the emotional support alligator greeting fans everywhere he goes on social media. He recently shared Wally's visit to Bass Pro Shops in Harrisburg, PA where he met tons of fans.

Many people who meet Wally also share their stories online. One person who met Wally at Bass Pro Shops shared, "Yesterday was a great day! Met Wally at Bass Pro Shop, and now we want to learn more about his mission. He made my kids smile; thank you for that!"

Wally captures love everywhere he goes. People are often in awe of how sweet and docile he is around strangers.

"It is my dream to hold Wally someday soon. He's so sweet and unique, thanks for sharing him with the world!" one Facebook follower wrote in the comments of a photo. Another person said, "Wally is the cutest."

If anyone has any information on Wally's whereabouts, contact Henney through Facebook or via phone/text at 717-577-0847.