The latest addition to the Wag Brigade can't technically wag his tail, but he can wiggle it. Alex the Giant Rabbit just joined this group of animals that calm nervous passengers at San Francisco International Airport, as reported in Travel + Leisure. Through this very furry program, the San Francisco SPCA brings Animal Assisted Therapy-certified dogs into the terminals to wag, lick, encourage. But Alex, a Flemish Giant rabbit whose size is astounding (Rabbits of Unusual Size? We don't think they exist), isn't the first cross-species member of the team; that honor belongs to Lilou, a Juliana-breed pig.
For the most part, though, the Wag Brigade consists of dogs: chocolate labs, Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, Maltese/Yorkies, Corgies and more, all wearing a vest that reads, "Pet me!" and each with their own Instagram handle. Alex already has 10,000 followers (double the number of the Wag Brigade itself), but only follows 126 humans; he's exclusive. He's made 400 posts in which he has shared his health concerns (a biopsied lump), his paw-grooming regimen, multiple salad nosh moments, and his visits to Chinatown, the beach, and even a Warriors game. Interactions on his page are hilarious; people asked him for his Superbowl picks, and one amazing video shows him driving a miniature pickup truck with 'Alex' as his license plate and lots of airplane one-shot bottles rattling around the back; he was ready to tailgate at the '49ers game.
Alex joined the Wag Brigade last month. The group resumed operations in October 2021, returning from a 20-month pandemic hiatus. The brigade was formed in December 2013 and has delighted passengers who just needed the grounding comfort of running a hand along a warm flank and behind appreciative ears. There's even a Wag Brigade Pet Me! Pop-Up Pet Shop in San Francisco's Ferry Building; these animals really love their different modes of transportation.