Can I pet your dog? How airport canine crews make air travel better.

Airport canine therapy crews make flying the friendly skies even more friendly. #CLTcaninecrew

It’s the end of a three-day federal-holiday weekend. Families around the country are at an airport ready to fly home after a visit to see relatives or a quick weekend getaway, however, there’s a storm brewing near Chicago and another one near Atlanta, where thousands of travelers have connecting flights. Suddenly, notifications begin hitting travelers’ phones. At first fights are delayed. Then an airline’s computer systems go down. Flights are canceled leaving thousands of flyers stuck. People are angry. Very angry.

Patrick “Pat” Cleary and Tillie at CLT airport. Photo by Carrie Dow.

The above scenario is why air travel is one of the most stressful parts of traveling. People are at the mercy of the weather and the airline to get to their desired destinations. But when things get stressful, people can find calm at the airport when they find the friendly, four-legged fur balls of the airport’s canine therapy crew.

Airport therapy dogs, AKA canine crews, came about in the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. San Jose Mineta International Airport (SJC) in California deployed the first single therapy dog when the airport’s interfaith chaplain received permission to bring to work her trained therapy dog, a boxer/great Dane mix named Orion. Orion helped to calm anxious travelers once flying resumed and was such a hit with both passengers and employees, the airport had them continue. Today SJC has 25 active therapy dogs and two therapy cats. According to Instagram’s @airporttherapydogs, there are currently 74 airports in the US with a therapy animal program and while dogs are the most popular, many airports have cats (Denver, Minneapolis/St. Paul), a therapy pig (San Francisco), and even baby alligators (New Orleans). *

What’s Pawsitive’s home airport Charlotte-Douglas International (CLT) has its own canine crew. To learn more, we followed two crew members and their human handlers around to see what the job entails. CLT Volunteer Programs Coordinator Christina Nunez introduced Hillary and Patrick “Pat” Cleary and their Clumber spaniels Tillie and Julep.

“It’s been amazing,” said Nunez. “[The dogs] each touch around 100 to 200 customers per shift. They’re getting to a lot of people and bringing smiles and stress-free moments to those passengers who really need it.”

Formed in 2015, the CLT Canine Crew is an all-volunteer group of dogs and their handlers who Nunez says went through a special process to join the program. First and foremost, all dogs must be certified through the Alliance of Therapy Dogs, a national organization that screens, tests, and certifies dogs to work in therapy situations. Alliance participants are background checked and pay a fee to cover the testing and paperwork, but once certified, therapy dogs can work in a variety of institutions including hospitals, schools, and nursing homes. If you have a certified therapy dog already, Nunez would like you to join.

“You can go online and email,” Nunez explained. “We have a therapy dog email address at the airport. I’ll send out an application and more information about the program to make sure people meet the requirements.” Volunteers are also security screened by the airport.

Once accepted, the dog and handler receive airport badges, a bit of training regarding the airport, and then the dogs receive a leash and special vest that says “Pet Me” and their handlers get a t-shirt. The dogs also have a photo shoot for use in the airport’s social media posts and for another program – trading cards.

“It’s really cute,” laughs Nunez. “[The cards have] got their picture on it. It’ll have their name and it says ‘follow us on Twitter’ so you can see where they’re at. A lot of airports are doing it. You can collect them like Pokémon cards.” Handlers pass out their dog’s trading card to passengers, mostly kids, but adults collect them too.

The Cleary’s have been with the canine crew for about six months and raise Clumber spaniels. Clumber spaniels are the largest of the spaniel breeds with a head like a St. Bernard and the body of a large spaniel. They are also known for a calm, relaxed temperament.

Hillary Cleary and Julep at Charlotte-Douglas International Airport. Photo by Carrie Dow.

“When you get a dog that has a wonderful temperament,” notes Hillary, “It’s wonderful. It really is. We had somebody come up to us a few weeks ago. He had been petting them and he walked away. And then he came back and said, ‘I just want you to know your dogs made my day. I was angry about traveling and angry about being here and I feel much better now.’ Kids are wonderful [too]. Some are a little hesitant, but these guys love children, so they come around.”

Her husband Pat says people are unfamiliar with the breed. “The very first visit we did,” he began, “they happen to have a Nor-easter that hit on the East Coast. There must have been four rows of people going this way and another four or five going that way. You couldn’t even see the other end. I’m watching people and as [they’re] walking towards me, they’re doing one of these.” He mimics a person leaning way over to one side as if looking around a pole. “They were trying to see what [my dog] was,” he laughs.

While chatting, three young people walked up to visit Tillie. They said they were going to Boston and as they bent down, Tillie plopped on the floor for belly rubs. Nearby Julep was greeted by a mother pushing an empty stroller with a small boy and an older girl walking alongside. She asked her children if they wanted to pet the dog. The girl stepped right up to Julep, but the boy took a step back. Julep then sniffed the stroller and the boy looked up and smiled. Realizing the cuteness of the situation, Mom took photos of her kids petting Julep, which made Julep wag her tail, which in turn wagged her whole rear end. Soon we were all laughing.

“It’s nice to hear the customers say,” added Nunez, “you made my day and I really needed this. [The dogs] make such a positive impact.”

Nunez says once cleared by the airport, volunteers can sign up for their own shifts, which run two hours, and volunteers must do at least two shifts a month, but are welcome to sign up for more. Shifts run daily from 8 am to 8 pm. Nunez says they have about 25 dogs in the program, but could use a few more. The program accepts all dog breeds.

This good dog is Nugget. Photo provided by CLT.

“We have everything,” said Nunez. “We have all sorts of different dogs. Our smallest is Nugget, a Pomeranian, and our largest is a mastiff. His name is Hossa. He’s great.”

“And they’re all so different,” she continued. “We have some [dogs] that were rescued from Animal Care and Control and some that came from breeders. We have such a good variety. We have our first pit mix into the program. I’m super excited for that. We want to end that stigma. We have grey hounds, great Danes, golden retrievers, and a German shepherd.” She says there’s also a black pug with vision issues, so his mom pushes him in a little stroller around the airport.

When asked what’s the most difficult thing about the program, Pat says it’s getting through airport security because the metal parts on the dog’s harnesses set off the metal detectors. Then there are all the people in security that want to pet the dogs too. Hillary says that sometimes they can’t even get through the parking lot without someone wanting to pet the dogs.

Nunez says there’s one thing that visitors don’t understand about the program.

“A lot of people think they’re getting paid to be here,” she says. “It’s so funny. They’re volunteers. They’re giving up their time to be here.” She also says that they can be flexible with the dogs’ shifts because they want dogs to be comfortable and enjoy their time in the airport. Some older dogs can’t always do a full two-hour shift and Nunez tells their handlers to put the dog’s health first. Some dogs like to get dressed up or wear costumes and others don’t. Pet parents need to do what is best for their dog. They also have a volunteer area where they check in, can take a break if needed, and there is drinking water for both humans and dogs.

Tillie and Julep greet travelers passing through Charlotte-Douglas International Airport. Photo by Carrie Dow.

Pat notes that the dogs are welcomed by flight crews and airport staff just as much as travelers. Crews based in Charlotte know many of the dogs by name and will stop to see them before heading to their gates. Pat also adds that there is a separation of therapy dogs and TSA’s security dogs.

“If we see one [TSA dog], we walk the other way,” he said. “They own the airport. We understand that.” The canine crew members are also not allowed to meet with any dogs traveling through the airport. If you travel with your dog and try to approach a canine crew member, they will back away from you. It’s because no one knows how a dog will react with dogs they don’t know. It’s safer for everyone to keep them apart.

Watching the steady stream of people stopping to pet or take photos of Tillie and Julep, it’s easy to see why this is one of the CLT’s most popular programs. Sometimes the canine crews are just what travelers need because you never know what brings people to the airport. Pat told the story about an older woman who approached him and his dog Clarence with tears in her eyes. She asked if he could come over to her daughter and granddaughter.

“They had just found out their great-grandmother had passed, and they were on their way to the funeral,” said Pat. “The granddaughter just grabbed Clarence and gave him a big hug. That’s what this is about. That little moment in time.” That’s why they’re all good dogs.

***

To know which dogs are at CLT and when, follow CLT Canine Crew on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram using #CLTcaninecrew. To find airport canine crews around the country, follow @airporttherapy dogs on Instagram.

https://www.cltairport.com/airport-info/services-and-amenities/clt-canine-crew/

https://www.therapydogs.com/

*Down from over 80 programs in 2019 because many airports suspended their pet therapy programs during the COVID-19 pandemic. Airports are slowly reinstating these programs. Check with your local airport to learn more.