A Pennsylvania pastor says he’s shocked after Walmart told him his emotional support alligator is no longer welcome inside its stores.
Wesley Silva, 60, made headlines after a recent visit to a Walmart in West Brownsville with his five-foot, 32-pound reptile, Jinseioshi, dressed up and riding in a shopping cart. Silva insists this wasn’t a stunt — he’s been taking the alligator out for years and usually gets positive reactions.
“We have been going to that Walmart for about three and a half years, and normally the reaction is ‘That’s pretty cool’ or ‘That is awesome that you have a pet alligator, man!’” Silva told NBC News.
But Walmart says customer safety comes first. “We welcome service animals in our stores, but it is unacceptable to expose members of the public to potential danger,” a spokesperson told NBC.
Silva, who is also a father of five and a pastor at two churches, says he finds reptiles calming and has a full menagerie at home that includes snakes, a gecko, a Komodo dragon, another alligator, and a dog. He adopted Jinseioshi from a neighbor who could no longer care for her, and now the gator splits time between an outdoor pool and an indoor bathtub.
“I find them very soothing,” Silva said, adding that his reptile collection began when one of his daughters asked for a snake. “I held it one night and I just kind of started really bonding with it.”