San Francisco Airport Hires Cat to Help Sooth Nervous Passengers

BY: Michelle Liew

San Francisco International Airport has gone viral for 'employing' a cat to help reduce the nervousness experienced by passengers before boarding a flight.

The cat, named Duke Ellington Morris, even has his own Instagram account.

The 14-year-old Moggy breed cat was involved in the 'Wag Brigade' program which was also joined by several other animals.

The program, launched in 2013, uses specially trained animals to help calm nervous passengers before a flight.

The team used to consist of several dogs, but now includes Morris, Alex the rabbit and LilLou the pig.

Ever since he was certified by the San Francisco Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, he has been "helping humans of all ages deal with stress, illness, hardship, and putting smiles on their faces when they need it most."

All of the animals are certified by the San Francisco Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA San Francisco) and undergo the Animal Assisted Therapy Program (ATT).