San Francisco International Airport’s team of certified therapy animals now includes a Flemish Giant rabbit – Alex the Great.

The Wag Brigade, San Francisco International Airport’s (SFO) team of certified stress-relief animals, has a new member: a 28lb Flemish Giant rabbit named Alex the Great. Already known for stealing hearts at San Francisco Giants baseball and Golden State Warriors basketball games, Alex is the first rabbit to join the Wag Brigade, which consists primarily of dogs but also includes LiLou, a Juliana-breed pig.

The Flemish Giant is the largest breed of domestic rabbit, and is known for being docile and patient when being handled, attributes well-suited for work on the Wag Brigade, the airport stressed. Alex will visit SFO several times each month.

Launched in December 2013, the SFO “Wag Brigade” brings trained animals to the terminals to make passenger travel more enjoyable. The San Francisco SPCA (Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) certifies all participating animals through its animal assisted therapy (AAT) programme. The Wag Brigade returned to SFO in October 2021 after a 20-month absence due to the COVID-19 pandemic. All participating animals were recertified prior to their return.