Airports Across America That Are Following The Wholesome Trend Of Therapy Animals

We've all been there. Struggling to lug around a cumbersome suitcase while trying to stay calm through dense airport crowds and desperately searching for your gate before becoming late for your flight. In that type of environment, it can feel impossible to stop the stress from wearing you down. While the airport is an undeniably anxiety-inducing place to be, many terminals are trying to implement amenities to help ease traveler's distress at least a little bit. 

One of the cutest and most unexpected of these services is therapy animals. Furry friends have the natural ability to put a smile on people's faces even in the most trying of times, but there is actually scientific evidence to support that a dose of puppy love can have incredible health benefits. Studies have found that just a bit of quality time playing with animals can improve your mood, lower the hormone that indicates stress called cortisol, and even reduce blood pressure. 

All of these effects can be extremely valuable for overwhelmed passengers at the airport. That's why it's becoming much more common to come across pooches on duty at the terminal. In fact, these major airports in the United States have already developed successful therapy animal programs featuring dogs, cats, rabbits, and even a pig to brighten each passenger's day and make air travel feel less daunting. 

Denver International is notorious for being one of the worst airports to have a layover in the United States because it is absolutely massive and can be very confusing to navigate. It's actually the largest airport in the whole country, which means it's easy to get lost in all that space and end up running late for your connection. The airport clearly recognizes that its layout can be emotionally exhausting for travelers and decided to combat this by setting up the Canine Airport Therapy Squad, also known as CATS (ironically enough). 

In addition to being the proud owner of the largest U.S. airport, Denver also has the world's biggest airport therapy animal program. There are more than 90 trained animals involved with the Canine Airport Therapy Squad, and their goal is to eventually have a team of 200. Most of them are dogs that have been rescued from vulnerable circumstances before joining the program, and there is also one cat on staff. 

Travelers are welcome to get up close and personal with the volunteer pups and feline. They love getting pets and cuddles. You can check out the current furry team roaming the terminals right now and the program's retired volunteers on the Denver Airport Website.

Minimize the inevitable headache of waiting for your flight to take off from Los Angeles International Airport by finding one of the affectionate red-vested dogs roving around the terminal. These are the revered members of the PUP program, or Pets Unstressing Passengers. It was initially launched back in 2013 as a way to make frazzled travelers feel better. Today, their fleet has grown to have approximately 80 dedicated therapy dogs from all different breeds.

Many of their dogs are rescue animals that came from all sorts of desperate situations and are just looking for love. They flood all that affection directly into their volunteer services. The main goal of these tail-wagging friends is simply to spend time with the passengers until it is time to board the plane. 

The therapy dogs and their humans hang out by the gates around departures and make their way to each terminal to comfort as many travelers as possible. It really seems to be effective, as one traveler told Spectrum News 1, "I came into the airport and I had extra time and I was kind of like upset that I had extra time because it's so stressful here. And then I saw the dogs with their big, yes, please pet me. And my heart just felt so much better and lighter." Their owners can also help out by providing information about stuff like upcoming projects around the airport. Ever since starting Pets Unstressing Passengers, LAX has assisted 91 other airports in the United States and abroad with developing their own animal therapy programs. 

In 2018, Miami International Airport took it upon itself to comfort its edgy travelers by introducing a therapy animal program called the Miami Hound Machine. From that moment forward, five doggie ambassadors and their owners began making their way through Concourse D to say hello to visitors and make everyone feel good in the midst of a potentially draining travel day. All of the furry volunteers are fully certified through the Alliance of Therapy Dogs. 

One of the dog's handlers explained to CBS that their role is to wander the airport on the hunt for people who seem stressed out after making it through the TSA checkpoint or getting lost in the terminal's unfamiliar terrain. Along the way, his dog Brody will just sense when someone could use a bit of his attention and comfort. He described to the broadcaster, "Somehow, he seems to know that you need it, and he goes up to you and he leans on you and let you know. Hey, I'm here for you." 

Pretty much every traveler can relate to needing a little animal bonding after surviving a brutally long wait at airport security. So, this can be a very welcome surprise after successfully getting through the TSA process in Miami. The human participants involved with the program have noticed that the animal services are truly making a big difference at the airport, too. The dog handler who spoke with CBS closed by remarking, "As you're walking down the airport you can see them smile at us and right away, we feel we made them happy even if they don't touch him."

There are quite a lot of bizarre airport attractions in the world, but nobody ever expects to come across a friendly pig while they're waiting to board a flight. As outrageous as that sounds, this could very well happen to you if you're traveling through San Francisco International Airport. Its therapy animal program, whimsically denominated the Wag Brigade, has been running for more than a decade. After all that time, it has become one of the most diverse airport animal therapy programs in the entire country. 

The team includes many different breeds of dogs, a Flemish Giant rabbit, and even a pig named LiLou, all of whom are dedicated to bringing travelers a few minutes of joy on their journeys. LiLou is actually the very first pig on the planet to earn a therapy animal certification. They add new members to the Wag Brigade all the time, too. In 2023, they welcomed a 14-year-old cat called Duke Ellington Morris.

While San Francisco has a fairly large therapy animal squad, it is highly selective about who it accepts on the team because the airport can be such an intense place. The leader of the program divulged that only around 10% to 15% of the animals that apply are chosen. To get to know the esteemed Wag Brigade better, you can peruse the current animals in the program and learn a bit more about their back story right on the SFO website. 

During certain points in the year or even times of the day, airports expect to be absolutely flooded with people because there is an uptick in travel. When these hectic periods roll around, the Portland International Airport combats the tensity by upping the presence of its distinguished therapy animals. Organized by DoveLewis Animal Hospital, the team is mainly made up of pups that have aged out of the Guide Dogs for the Blind program. This gives them the opportunity to utilize their valuable skills to calm travelers at the airport without putting too much pressure on them to work full-time. 

After being selected for the PDX Animal Therapy Program, the dogs are assigned a highly experienced handler who provides support as the animals are meeting a bunch of strangers. Visitors can spot each therapy animal out amongst the crowds because they're always wearing a grey vest. Funnily enough, you could cross paths with more than just dogs at the Portland Airport. 

You could also find yourself face-to-face with a llama at your boarding gate. That's right — there is a llama named Beni (and an alpaca called Captain Jack) who occasionally makes visits to Portland International Airport. These guys are so comfortable with people that they're happy to give a kiss to anyone who offers a carrot out of their mouth. PDX travelers absolutely adore the quirky pair, with one individual telling NPR, "You can tell by my response how joyful I feel to see these animals out here. What a gift."

Even if you're at your wits end trying to figure out what to do after your flight gets delayed, the lovable members of the PHX Navigator Buddies are guaranteed to draw a smile out of you. At Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, you'll be able to recognize members of their animal therapy program from a mile away because they're all dressed up in purple vests that read "Pet Me!"Nervous flyers are bound to relax a bit once they encounter that situation. 

They are constantly upgrading the Navigator Buddies program to add new pups into the mix. As recently as 2024, they put six new dogs on the team. This includes a great dane named Tilli, who will do anything for an ear rub, and a Bernedoodle called Hattie, who will nap at any time of the day. If you have a therapy dog yourself and are a full-time Arizona resident, you can even apply to volunteer with the program and share your pooch's spark with weary travelers from all over the place. 

For over a decade, the lucky people passing through the Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport have had the privilege of unexpectedly running into one of the MSP Animal Ambassadors. Members of this airport's animal therapy program are set up at designated petting stations and walk around various locations throughout the terminals. So, you have a good shot of coming across these four-legged cuties at some point during your travel day.

One of the human volunteers with the program (named Jayne) takes her dog Lola to the Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport regularly to spread cheer throughout the terminal. She described her firsthand experience working with the Animal Ambassadors by telling ABC 5, "People definitely say, 'I really needed this today,' or 'I didn't even know I needed this.'" Travelers have shared how much the therapy dog program improved their day on social media as well, with one person commenting on a post on the MSP Airport Facebook page, "I love all of the MSP Airport Therapy Dogs. They bring me so much joy when I am heading to work or in between flights!!! Thank you so much for sharing your wonderful companions with us."

After getting scolded by TSA workers and going through a full-body scan at security, there is one thing that might cheer you up at Tulsa International Airport: The beloved Welcome Waggin'. This therapy animal program started up as a way to make the airport experience more pleasant, and the dogs are specially trained to ensure this happens. An individual who works at the airport shared with 98.5 The Bull how these guys are "Not just your typical pets, they've gone a little step further than that and been trained as therapy dogs." Their education involves learning to accept all types of people and being receptive to their cuddles. This guarantees that any sort of traveler — from very young children to adults — can safely interact with members of the Welcome Waggin'. 

Being a part of the Tulsa Airport animal therapy program is just as rewarding for the human handlers involved as it is for the dogs. Alan Napoli's dog, Watson, is a dedicated participant in the initiative, and he's had some moving experiences that have made all the time worthwhile. He told News on 6, "We visited a lady who was boarding a flight. Sometime in April she came up to me and said, 'You know, I want to thank you because I was on the way to my father's funeral. I stopped to pet Watson and I just want to thank you for making a tough day a little less painful.' I don't know if it gets any better than that. I really don't."

Most of the airport therapy animal programs across the United States are located in major travel hubs, but Albany International Airport extends the comforting service despite its relatively small size. And although it isn't as big as other airports on this list, its Therapy Dog program is one of the most impressive in the game. The animals absolutely love being played with and given affection, and they're all accompanied by a knowledgeable handler who oversees all the interactions. 

Unlike many airports, where the therapy dogs are only allowed in specific sections of the terminal, these guys can be found throughout the entire airport, from the check-in area all the way to the boarding gates. That means they can be there to support you from the moment you step foot in the airport until you get on the plane. In each of these areas, the dogs will hang out in an open space to make sure that there is plenty of room for everyone to fully appreciate them without it being overstimulating. Travelers can look forward to seeing the pups at ALB every single day from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The CLT Canine Crew, employed by Charlotte Douglas International Airport, is highly experienced in making people feel better. Their animals are all registered therapy dogs with a minimum of six months of experience in the profession. This assures that they are completely prepared to handle the bustling environment of an airport. 

Once you get to the terminal, you'll be able to differentiate the program's participants because the dogs all wear vests that instruct "Pet me," and their owners are also decked out in a CLT Canine Crew shirt. The airport detailed the value of the program to WCNC, saying, "Canine Crew volunteers welcome passengers with a smile and a wagging tail, spread joy through positive interactions, and help calm stressed passengers." It is also about to increase the size of the team; the CLT Canine Crew is currently accepting applications for more volunteers.

In the wake of the 9/11 tragedy, flying anxiety was understandably at an all-time high, and airports were searching for a way to make travelers feel comfortable again. Even with all the extensive security measures, people just didn't feel safe at the airport, and it was going to take something seriously innovative to change that reality. That's when San Jose International Airport decided to make a revolutionary move that would bring immense relief to its passengers — it established one of the very first dog therapy programs. 

It started off on a small scale with just one volunteer, Kathryn Liebschutz. She thought her trained Boxer/Great Dane, Orion, might be able to make people feel more reassured before getting on a flight. Soon, it became clear that Orion was a major hit with everyone at the airport, and his presence was genuinely helping travelers cope with their stress. What began with one comforting pup has evolved into the SJC Happy Tails program today. 

In total, the program has 52 therapy animals that are totally certified to serve in the role. There are 49 dogs, two cats, and even a rabbit called Alex The Great, who all mosey their way around the San Jose International Airport. If you're going to be traveling through San Jose in the near future, you can look through the airport's line-up of working therapy animals on the SJC website.