The Cellar - Dec 8th, 2016: Therapy What?

Quote:

Believe it or not, adorable dogs aren't for everyone.
That's one of the reasons why the San Francisco International Airport has added a new member
to its four-legged "Wag Brigade" - a pig named LiLou.
SFO's Wag Brigade allows SPCA animals certified by the Animal Assisted Therapy (AAT) Program
to greet and comfort hurried travelers as they arrive, depart, or languish through a layover.
LiLou is the program's first pig.

http://cellar.org/2016/airport1.jpg

Quote:

According to the SFSPCA, "At a minimum, AAT pets must be solicitous and fully comfortable with handling.
In other words, pets must be interested in and eager to approach people and accept handling, regardless
of the person’s age, gender, race, size, mobility equipment usage, and apparel."
LiLou nailed her training and is now dispatched to the airport once a month.

“I can see that she is happy showing off her tricks and getting her praise,” LiLou’s owner, Tatyana Danilova
told USA Today. “It also brings positive emotions to me seeing that we can do something good for the
community and bring more smiles in some unconventional way.”

I'll bet most of the people passing through the airport have never seen a live pig, and certainly never petted one.

Quote:

The Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport offers miniature therapy horses.
Last year, a mid-flight photo of a passenger's "therapy turkey" went viral.

http://cellar.org/2016/airport2.jpg

link