“Yeah, I’ll calm down about getting on a plane—when pigs fly.” Well, fasten your safety belt and be careful what you wish for because when therapy pigs fly is now basically a thing, thanks to the good people at San Francisco International Airport. Meet LiLou, a spotted Juliana pig who just became SFO’s latest—and undoubtedly greatest—history-making employee.
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The snout-nosed sweetheart is the first pig to be certified in the Animal Assisted Therapy Program of the San Francisco Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. She's also the first non-dog addition to the Wag Brigade, a group of 22 trained therapy dogs that keep the SFO terminals happy. (Those “Pet Me!” vests aren’t just stylish, they’re sincere, too. The dogs are there to calm nervous and anxious travelers before boarding their respective planes.)
So when you’re hauling your massive suitcase filled with gifts for your niece and nephew past the TSA checkpoint this holiday season, consider stopping to pet the cute pooch—or therapy pig—on hand. “Many adults experience symptoms of anxiety when flying,” says Sofia DiSanti, LCSW, a psychotherapist in Manhattan. “The very presence of—and brief interaction with—a trained therapy animal has been shown to reduce the levels of the stress hormone epinephrine.”
Not traveling through SFO but still craving a furry companion before your journey? Currently more than 30 airports have therapy dog programs, Condé Nast Traveler reports, while Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport kicked things up a notch (er, hoof) by bringing miniature therapy horses to its terminals earlier this year.
For SFO-bound travelers, follow LiLou’s adventures—from her runway-worthy outfits to her impressive terminal tricks, like playing a toy piano—on Instagram (plus our faves, below), and expect her to show up around once a month.
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