LiLou, the pig, calms anxious travellers at San Francisco International Airport

The San Francisco International Airport has come up with an innovative solution to greet and even help flyers who get troubled by flight anxiety. The airport is now home to the world’s first therapy pig, LiLou. It greets the passengers at the airport, cheers them up and leads to reducing anxiety levels as well.
LiLou, along with its owner Tatyana Danilova, is a part of the airport’s Wag Brigade. The Wag Brigade aims to bring therapy animals to the airport facility and ease travellers. LiLou also poses for selfies with passengers, with its toenails painted in a bright, happy red, and greets them too. A step, or paw, further, the pig also plays tunes on its tiny piano for the passengers.

Danilova, LiLou’s owner, states that her pig loves interacting with people and is used to roaming around their home’s neighbourhood. She further informed that LiLou keeps happy and healthy with a diet that is mainly organic vegetables. Back at their home, LiLou has its own bed and is almost like a dog that looks like a pig!

Jennifer Kazarian Guest Service Manager at the airport states that LiLou is the world’s first therapy pig, and her Wag Brigade also includes a number of doctors too. She added, “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.”

So yes, the next time you are at the San Francisco airport and see a happy pig trotting towards you with its hooves up, get ready for a selfie and, perhaps, a cuddle or two.