Cat Hired by San Francisco Airport as Newest Member of 'Wag Brigade' to Help Nervous Passengers

San Francisco International Airport (SFO) just hired a cat that serves as the latest member of the "Wag Brigade" in a bid to help nervous passengers ahead of their flights.

The Wag Brigade consists of certified or licensed therapy animals, including cats, dogs, rabbits, horses, and other animals.

The new SFO feline is called Duke the cat, officially known as Duke Ellington Morris.

Duke the cat is only one of the several members of the animal therapy group at SFO and other public areas across the United States.

While Duke's position right now is considered a prestigious one, he underwent a rigorous journey after being found as a stray kitten over a decade ago.

This was made possible after the now 14-year-old cat was adopted before being trained as an emotional support animal.

San Francisco Airport Cat

The appointment of Duke the cat was revealed in a Twitter post by SFO earlier in June.

The tweet has an attached photo showing the black and white cat wearing a seemingly pilot cap and uniform.

Some Twitter user commented expressing their support.

In a report on Saturday, June 17, the hiring of the latest SFO Wag Brigade member aims to calm anxious travelers to help them cope or adjust in their journey.

There were no immediate reports as to the specific area of designation of the cat.

However, it is most likely inside the airport terminal only with the objective of making people smile.

Duke the Cat

Prior to joining the Wag Brigade, Duke was rescued by the animal rights organization Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) from a feral cat colony in 2010 while he was still a kitten, the Independent U.K. reported.

According to SFO, there are other airport therapy cats aside from Duke Ellington and below are some of them and their designated duty location:

• Widget (San Jose Mineta International Airport)
• Mokey (San Jose Mineta International Airport)
• Stitches (Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport)
• Simba (Calgary International Airport)
• Taz (Calgary International Airport)
• Enzo (Calgary International Airport)
• Xeli (Denver International Airport)

Emotional Support Animals

To become a member of the Wag Brigade or a certified therapy animal in general, an animal (mostly pets) must pass the test by San Francisco city's SPCA and complete its Animal Assisted Therapy (ATT) program based on the animal's temperament and behavior, according to the U.K. newspaper.

Pets or domesticated animals are common candidates for the said program due to safety reasons.

Still, there are instances where wild animals like alligators can become certified therapy animals.

In Pennsylvania, an alligator called Wally became an emotional support animal, it was reported by The Guardian.

Wally the alligator went viral on social media after a video surfaced showing he and his owner Joseph Henney walking together in Philadelphia's Love Park where many people gave hugs to the reptile.