- San Francisco International Airport has added a 5-year-old Juliana pig named LiLou to its Wag Brigade, a group of therapy animals that help ease anxiety among passengers.
- LiLou wears a pilot cap and has her nails painted red by her owner, Tatyana Danilova. In the airport she greets passengers and plays music on a toy piano.
- She’s the airport’s first therapy pig. The airport’s Wag Brigade also includes a number of dogs.
- All of the dogs – and LiLou – have been trained by the San Francisco Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA). To make it into the Wag Brigade, animals have to be house trained and have good manners.
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San Francisco International Airport has a new therapy pig waiting to greet passengers, play music, and pose for selfies to help ease travel anxieties.
LiLou, a 5-year-old Juliana pig, is part of the airport’s Wag Brigade, which brings therapy animals into departure areas, according to Reuters.
As part of her daily work uniform, LiLou wears a pilot cap and has her nails painted red by her owner, Tatyana Danilova.
“People are very happy to get distracted from the travel, from their routines, whether they’re flying on their journey for vacation or work,” Danilova told Reuters. “Everybody is usually very happy and it makes them pause for a second and smile and be like, ‘oh, it’s great.'”
After going through the airport's security scanners, LiLou greet passengers with her hoof, takes pictures with people, and even plays music for them on a toy piano.
Danilova said the one thing LiLou doesn't like is being approached from behind, likely because Juliana pigs are prey animals.
LiLou lives with Danilova in downtown San Francisco, where she goes for daily walks and eats a diet of vegetables and protein pellets. She's house trained and sleeps in her own bed.
The airport's guest services manager, Jennifer Kazarian, told Reuters that LiLou is the airport's first therapy pig. Their Wag Brigade also includes a number of dogs.
All of the animals involved in the program train with the San Francisco Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA), and they all must be house trained, have good manners, and a friendly personality.
"When we first launched the program, our main goal was to relieve stress for our passengers. However, what we have found is we have formed a connection with our passengers and it's been totally amazing," Kazarian said.
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