A homeless cat, rescued by a shelter and adopted by a caring family, is now providing assistance to people at an airport in California, NY Post reports.
The black and white cat named Duke Ellington Morris, 14 years old, joined the team of animal therapists known as the "Wag Brigade" at San Francisco International Airport (SFO) in May.
In 2010, Duke was saved from the streets of San Francisco, where he was found hungry and dying among other feral cats. He was brought to the San Francisco Animal Care Center, where a five-year-old girl noticed him. Her family quickly adopted the cat.
Duke's family was impressed by his calm and affectionate behavior and received a certificate for him as a therapy animal through the animal-assisted therapy program of the San Francisco Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. This special cat, named after the great jazz musician, has been working as a therapy animal for the past decade, visiting patients in hospitals throughout the city to provide comfort during difficult times.
"I remember my daughter joyfully shouting, 'I love the black and white kitten.' And I asked, 'What are you talking about?" says Duke's owner, Jen Morris. "We met Duke, and he immediately bonded with my daughter. I thought if a cat wants a five-year-old child to be their next guardian, he can't be that bad."
The "Wag Brigade" also includes a pig named Lilu and a rabbit named Alex the Great. The animal therapists roam the airport's terminals, donning "Pet Me" vests, to provide comfort to travelers experiencing anxiety. After a 20-month hiatus caused by the COVID pandemic, the program, which was initiated in 2013, resumed in 2021.
#Prevention of Cruelty to Animals #AnimalTherapy #SanFrancisco
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