MEET THE WORLD’S FIRST AIRPORT THERAPY PIG How Lilou and Animals Like Her Calm Stressed-Out Travelers
Imagine you’re navigating a vast airport on a busy Saturday, shouldering your way through crowds and struggling to hear the PA system over the clatter of 1,000 wheeled suitcases. Suddenly, you see a pig wearing a hot pink sweater waddling toward you on a leash. Do you stop in your tracks? Does your stress level drop? Do you laugh out loud when you see its pink nail polish?
Lilou wanders the airport with her humans, bringing joy, peace, and calm to everyone she meets.
Lilou may be the only pig of her kind, but airport therapy animals have been a growing trend for the last few years. According to NPR, as of 2017, more than 30 airports across the U.S. employed therapy dogs, and these days, estimates land closer to 60. The San Jose and Denver airports have therapy cats, and the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport even offers passengers the chance to play with miniature horses before boarding their flights. Therapy dogs started appearing in U.S. airports after the 9/11 terror attacks, which changed American attitudes about flying. They did so well at helping passengers calm down that airports began implementing permanent programs. Some have pets on hand 24/7 to assist passengers, while others host animal visits every few weeks or months. These days, regular travelers have fallen hard for their local therapy animals, many of whom even have their own Instagram accounts and hashtags.
If you answered “yes” to any of the above, then you can sympathize with the passengers, pilots, flight attendants, and staff at the San Francisco International Airport. They get to enjoy visits from Lilou, the world’s first airport therapy pig, on a regular basis! As part of the Wag Brigade, the airport’s cadre of (mostly canine) therapy animals,
So, the next time you’re traveling, keep an eye out for a friendly pup, cat, pig, or horse to pet. A bit of love from an animal just might improve your trip!
Take a Break
Inspired by Nom Nom Paleo
Easy Tomato Soup
Who doesn’t love a bowl of tomato soup on a cold winter’s day? This recipe packs a lot more flavor — and a lot fewer additives — than your average store-bought soup without requiring hours of hard labor over the stove.
Ingredients
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1 cup chicken broth 8.5 oz coconut milk
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2 tbsp coconut oil
4 leeks, white parts only, thinly sliced 6 cloves garlic, minced
Kosher salt
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Freshly ground black pepper
1 28-oz can roasted and diced tomatoes (Muir Glen Organic is a good brand) Directions 1. In a skillet over mediumheat, sauté leeks in coconut oil until softened and translucent, about 7–10 minutes. 2. Add garlic and sauté for another 30 seconds. Remove fromheat. 3. Meanwhile, in a blender,
4. Add sautéed leeks and garlic and purée again. 5. Transfer purée to a saucepan
and add chicken broth and coconut milk. Bring to a boil, then drop to simmer and cook for 10 minutes.
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6. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve.
purée entire can of tomatoes, including juice, until smooth.
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