A man from Pennsylvania says his longtime shopping companion, a five-foot emotional support alligator, has been banned from Walmart after another customer complained.
60-year-old Wesley Silva claims he and his alligator, Jinseioshi, had been visiting the same Walmart in West Brownsville for over three years without issue. Shoppers often reacted with surprise and curiosity, calling it “cool” or “awesome.”
But things changed recently when photos of Silva wheeling the 32-pound reptile around in a shopping cart — complete with a harness — went viral online. One woman who snapped the pictures said she felt unsafe and even considered avoiding that Walmart in the future: “I don’t want to go shopping with alligators.”
In response, Walmart issued a statement stressing that while they appreciate the bond people share with animals, only ADA-recognized service animals are allowed inside stores for the safety of all customers.
Silva, a father of five, insists his reptile is harmless. He began collecting reptiles in 2022 after his daughter asked for a snake, eventually bonding with them so strongly that he acquired his own.
Animal experts, however, warn that an alligator in a busy, unpredictable environment poses real risks. “There’s no way to predict how it might react in a stressful place like Walmart,” said Cienna Chefren of the Humane Animal Rescue of Pittsburgh.
Despite Silva’s protests, Jinseioshi no longer has a place in Walmart’s aisles — proving that not every emotional support animal can be accommodated.
