San Francisco International Airport (SFO) welcomed its newest "Wag Brigade" member: a black-and-white cutie named Duke Ellington Morris. Rescued from the streets of San Francisco, 14-year-old Duke has joined the team as its first feline stress-relief animal.
The Wag Brigade, launched in 2013, aims to make the airport experience more enjoyable by introducing trained animals to the terminals. These certified animals, including Duke, wear little vests that say "Pet Me!" to identify them as friendly companions. Duke joins LiLou (the "World's First Animal Therapy Pig"), several dogs, and even a Flemish Giant rabbit named Alex.
Here's what we know about Duke:
Duke Ellington Morris was discovered starving in a San Francisco feral cat colony. After a short stint at San Francisco Animal Care and Control, Duke spotted a young human that he decided was his ticket to a better life. Was he ever correct—Duke immediately took to his new family, and it quickly became clear to his new guardians that this was a special cat. Since then, Duke has been certified as an animal therapist, helping humans of all ages deal with stress, illness, hardship, and putting smiles on their faces when they need it most.
You can follow the therapy-animal gang on Instagram. (SFGate)
