Before adopting

Puppies provide us with comfort, happiness and love.

But bringing a four-legged friend into your daily life is quite an investment — a pup requires a considerable amount of your time, money and attention.

Here’s what to know and do before bringing Fido home.

DIG INTO YOUR BUDGET, LIFESTYLE

Ensure that you’re ready for a puppy and everything that goes along with one.

Your new family member will need to fit into your home and budget, points out Kristen Levine, founder of the Pet Living blog.

To get in the right mindset, ask yourself questions — and be honest with your answers. Levine, who is based in Tampa, Florida, recommends these: Do you really have time for a puppy? Will your family’s lifestyle accomodate a puppy? Can you afford to feed, train and care for a puppy? And are you ready for a 12- to 15-year obligation (the potential life span of the dog)?

“Puppies …are fun and adorable,” Levine says. “But they’re a puppy only for about a year. Then you have an animal that you are responsible for and that is completely dependent on you for everything it needs.”

Aside from the upfront cost of getting the puppy home and other one-time expenses, anticipate paying about $150 in average monthly expenses, according to a 2018 analysis by Rover.com. That includes food, toys, flea and tick prevention, dental chews and more.

FIND A PUPPY THAT NEEDS LOVE

If you still feel like you’re ready for a dog, visit your local shelters and rescue groups so you can consider adoption first before you shop.

Through an adoption, Levine says you’re saving the life of an animal that was at some point unwanted. You’re also freeing up space for another animal to be rescued.

If you’re not ready to decide, some shelters offer foster programs. In this arrangement, you can take on the responsibility of temporarily caring for an animal until it has a permanent home.

“Oftentimes you fall in love with the animal you’re fostering and you end up keeping it, but you’re not making a commitment to keep it just because you want to foster,” Levine says.

Still, there are some reasons you may want to buy a puppy instead of adopting one. For example, you may be looking to show a dog or you might have an affinity for a specific breed.

SNIFF OUT TRICKS

Buying a puppy is usually more expensive than adopting (which often comes with a minimal fee), so research breeders thoroughly before making a purchase or putting down a nonrefundable deposit to reserve your spot in a future litter. You can look up breeders online or rely on word of mouth.

Ask potential breeders what they’ll provide you with so you can set expectations and get clear information.

Reputable breeders like to show off their puppies, so they’ll likely send pictures, take videos, talk to you on the phone and encourage you to visit in person, according to Brandi Hunter, vice president of public relations and communications at the American Kennel Club.

And if the breeder claims to have purebred AKC-registered dogs, the puppies should come with paperwork, Hunter says. Make sure you get a registration certificate at the time you get the pup.

Whether you’re buying a purebred Yorkshire Terrier or a hybrid Goldendoodle, watch out for scams.

You could stand to lose hundreds or even $1,000 in a puppy scam, depending on the price of the dog, according to Lori Wilson, president and CEO for Better Business Bureau serving the San Francisco Bay Area and Northern Coastal California.

To avoid being scammed, Wilson recommends doing a web search on any pictures the breeder sends you of the supposed puppy to ensure they’re not fake stock photos.

Don’t get reeled into a purchase decision based on the appearance of the breeder’s website. A fancy online presence isn’t an indication of whether the breeder is legit. After all, Wilson says, scammers will set the stage right.

Perhaps most importantly, the experts say not to hand over money too soon. If you do, you might risk never seeing your deposit or payment again.

“You want to see (the puppy) first,” Hunter says. “You want to know it exists. You don’t want to be taken for a ride.”

Remembering beloved goldendoodle

Peggy Irwin always will remember the way Murray charmed his way to more dog treats from the counter at the front office of The Villages Charter Middle School. “My fondest memory of Murray is when we would give him a treat and then say ‘all gone,’” said Irwin, principal at The Villages Middle School. “He would put his head on the counter and look at you with his big brown eyes as if to say ‘I know that is not true.’ Needless to say he always got at least one more.”

Without any sign of distress, Murray climbed up on the sofa right before bedtime last week and passed away, which owner Sara Morgan said was the “Murray way.” He would never saddle the people he loved with the burden of worrying about him.

“Murray’s way was to please and comfort others,” Morgan said.

When he was with other dogs, the tender-hearted goldendoodle would let other dogs eat first or leave some of his food for them.

“Small children sometimes were fearful of petting such a large dog, so Murray would lay down for them to pet,” she said.

From the neighbors who can attest to his congeniality to the teachers who experienced his professionalism, the 9-year-old made an impact on people’s lives in The Villages.

Murray was active in the Dynamic Dog Club’s circus, which performed for clubs and for Camp Villages. A registered therapy dog, he regularly went to Trinity Springs Memory Care to visit residents, said Morgan, of the Village of Hadley.

Murray also was registered with the international R.E.A.D. program, which allows animals to go into schools so kids can practice reading to them.

“When entering the front office everyone rushed to him to pet him,” Irwin said.

Murray’s work as a reading dog was very important to the community, she said. The program offers children a chance to read aloud at their own pace to a nonjudgmental audience, such as Murray, which boosts students’ confidence.

Murray began volunteering in local schools seven years ago. He helped pass out reading certificates during a fifth-grade graduation ceremony at Villages Elementary of Lady Lake.

Now the ESE school specialist for Villages Elementary of Lady Lake, from 2008-14, Susan Rayment was the special education teacher for third through fifth grade. She said when Murray would visit for the reading program, he provided therapy for both the students and adults.

“If you were having a bad day and saw Murray, everything got better,” she said. “He was an amazing soul. There was something about him that you fell in love with.”

When he wasn’t wearing his professional hats, Murray’s favorite pastimes were golf cart rides to Lake Sumter Landing, participating in parades and visiting neighbors and his canine friends, especially his “wife.”

Tammy Smith, of the Village of Virginia Trace, has Chloe, a golden retriever who married Murray in a ceremony a few years ago.

“(Chloe and Murray) didn’t live together, but she’s going to miss him,” Smith said. “She’s going to say ‘Where is my hubby and my best friend?’ He’s going to be so missed.”

Lori and Scott Zulauf, of the Village of Amelia, would watch Murray when the Morgans went on a trip. Lori said Murray was an affectionate dog.

“I’d come out and Murray is on my husband’s lap, as big as he was,” Lori said. “And my husband just loved it and let him come up and cuddle in.”

Lori couldn’t resist Murray, either. She enjoyed treating him to a Starbuck’s puppuccino (a cup of whipped cream), when they’d all meet up at Lake Sumter Landing Market Square.

 “He was a very special loving dog,” Lori said. “People were drawn to him.”

Murray’s picture also has hung by the volunteer check-in at Villages Elementary of Lady Lake for years.

“We just decided it should be up front,” Rayment said. “Everybody knows Murray, and everybody loves Murray.”

therapy dogs online

It’s not just people who have had to change the way they work during the coronavirus pandemic. It’s therapy dogs too.

DoveLewis has more than 80 therapy dog teams that are usually providing comfort to people in hospitals and nursing homes. Now they are stuck at home.

“It’s so frustrating because this is the time when people could really use the dogs,” explained Kathy Loter, program manager of DoveLewis K9 Therapy Team. “We are normally very busy, but then all of a sudden in one day it all stops. It’s just, OK, well, what do we do? And how long is this going to last, and as we can see, it is going to last for a long while.”

With so much uncertainty, the teams helped launch online programs to connect with people who are stuck in their homes.

Now, every day between 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. a therapy dog team goes on Facebook Live.

“The dog lays there, could be chewing on a bone or whatever, but kids read to the dog from their homes so they can pop in at any time. We have gotten great feedback on that program. We are getting kids from as far away as Massachusetts for that program.”

The other program is more interactive and takes place on Zoom. There, children and their parents can register to read to a dog with two to four other children. They can also talk to the handler and ask them questions about the dog.

“It is so adorable,” said Loter with a smile. “We had one child who is too young to read, so she made up a story about a pineapple. We are reaching all ages.”

The programs have been so successful, staff from DoveLewis say the programs will likely continue even after the pandemic.

“Our teams love giving back to their community. To be able to help them do that still is its pretty valuable. It’s a great experience,” said Loter.

Valuable not just for them, but for those they connect with as well. Loter shared a poem with KATU that was written by a young student who participated in the program.

Florida seniors get robotic therapy dogs

Since the coronavirus outbreak, strict visitation rules and social distancing guidelines imposed at nursing homes in Florida have left some seniors feeling isolated.

In order to help them cope during the pandemic, the Florida Department of Elder Affairs is providing them with some furry new friends.

The agency announced on Monday that it’s providing 375 therapeutic robotic pets to socially isolated seniors and adults living with Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia, according to a news release issued by the agency.

“We know social isolation disproportionately affects older adults, and COVID-19 has required people with dementia and their caregivers to remain alone for extended periods of time,” the release states.

The state’s Department of Elder Affairs hopes the pets can help the seniors combat social isolation and depression by improving their overall mood and quality of life.

An alternative to traditional pet therapy, research shows that the robotic pets have similar positive effects and is highly successful in decreasing social isolation for older adults, according to the agency’s news release.

“We know social isolation disproportionately affects older adults, and COVID-19 has required people with dementia and their caregivers to remain alone for extended periods of time,” Department of Elder Affairs secretary Richard Produm said in a statement. “We look forward to delivering these therapeutic robotic pets to those who will benefit from their companionship.”

The robotic pets were created by Ageless Innovation, a company that is devoted to developing fun and engaging products geared toward older adults.

The company has also partnered with the Association on Aging in New York to distribute up to 1,1100 robotic pets to those who are at the most risk for social isolation.

Athlete and service dog keep busy

Trying to stay active while self-isolating is difficult for your average person. For athletes who normally split their time between dry-land training and working out in the gym, it is especially difficult, even more so when your gym has been closed indefinitely.

Orléans blind, death athlete Kevin Frost has been making do the best he can with daily workouts in his basement that include a 50-minute ride on his bike trainer. He also goes for walks ever day with his service dog Louis.

“I workout five days a week for about an hour and a half each day. I start with 10 minutes of stretching, followed by about 20 minutes working on my core and then 50 minutes on the bike and then my cool down,” says Frost.

The daily exercise routine helps keep him in shape both physically and mentally.

“It’s important to stay active physically, but it’s equally important to stay active mentally. I call it my therapy session. It’s a sanity thing,” says Frost. “When I work out I’m usually watching the sports channel. It’s a nice escape from all the news about the COVID virus.”

It’s been nearly six weeks since the Ontario government listed gyms and fit-ness centres among those businesses that had to close indefinitely and although he misses working out in the gym, he misses the human interaction even more.

“You really don’t realize how much you’ll miss the social aspect of working out in a gym it until it’s gone,” says Frost. “This self-isolation thing is tough.”

As for those people who are starting to get cabin fever or have been lulled into a state of lethargy, Frost recommends find-ing ways to get moving again.

“It’s easy to become negative with everything that’s going on, but life is what you make it. You can think every-thing is boring, or you can use it as motivation to get things done. It’s impor-tant to focus on the positive because as bad as things are, it could be a lot worse.”

After retiring from competitive speed skating this past winter, this was the year Frost was planning to focus on his golf game. Unfortunately, golf courses and driving ranges are currently on the list of non-essential businesses in Ontario, although there is talk that the province’s golf courses maybe among the first businesses to reopen under a strict set of guidelines.

Frost is hoping they will be open by the Victoria Day long weekend.

“It’s pretty easy to do physical distan-cing on a golf course, especially if you don’t have any golf carts,” says Frost who is still hoping to participate in the World Blind Golf Championships in South Africa in September. He’s also been invited to take part in the HANDA U.S. Blind Golf Championship which has been rescheduled for November in Arizona.

When he does, he will be playing with a custom-made set of clubs courtesy of Puma Golf which has agreed to be one of his sponsors.

“They were looking for a disabled golfer to be part of their roster and I’m the guy,” says Frost who also got clothing and new shoes as part of the deal.

The only thing left is for Frost to get back on the links. When he does he wants to be in the best shape possible.

For now he’s been practicing his putting on a section of artificial turf in his basement and he has been working on his swing with a set of soft-impact balls.

“It keeps me busy, but it’s not the same as the real thing,” says Frost.

For that he will have to wait a few more weeks.

Provincial Animal Welfare Services (PAWS)

Yesterday, the Provincial Animal Welfare Services (PAWS) Act came into force, creating the first fully provincial government-based animal welfare enforcement system in Canada. Ontario now has the strongest penalties in Canada for people who violate animal welfare laws.

“People care about the welfare of animals and so does our government,” said Solicitor General Sylvia Jones. “We committed to creating a strong, new system to protect animals, and we have delivered on that promise.”

Effective January 1, 2020, Ontario will:

Implement the new model with more inspectors to provide province-wide coverage, including those with specialized expertise in livestock, zoos, aquariums and equines.

Enable courts to impose the highest financial penalties for offenders in Canada.

Update prohibitions and obligations, such as barring the return of dog fighting equipment to a person convicted of an offence and harming or attempting to harm a service animal or one that works with peace officers.

Establish new oversight of inspectors that offers increased transparency and accountability, as well as a one-window complaints mechanism for the public.

Establish a multi-disciplinary advisory table made up of a wide range of experts, including veterinarians, agriculture representatives, academics, animal advocates and others to provide ongoing advice to the ministry.

Transitional regulations have been put in place to ensure animals are protected while long-term regulations are developed through consultation, including through the multi-disciplinary table.

The province has established a toll-free number, 1-833-9-ANIMAL (264625) for people to report concerns about animal distress or abuse. This call centre is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

NYC launches pet hotline

The New York City Emergency Management Department and the Mayor’s Office of Animal Welfare announced Tuesday the launch of the NYC COVID-19 Pet Hotline, which will serve as an information, planning, referral and service coordination hub for residents who need support for their pets during the COVID-19 pandemic. “Pets and service animals are a part of our family, and we want to alleviate any concern associated with having to take care of these family members during these trying times,” Emergency Management Commissioner Deanne Criswell said. “We are thankful to our task force members who have stepped up to help New Yorkers who need this service.”

The Pet Hotline and supportive services are being provided by the city’s Animal Planning Task Force, which is coordinated by NYC Emergency Management.

“This administration has always understood that animals share our homes, our lives, and are sometimes our closest companions,” Mayor’s Community Affairs Unit Commissioner Marco Carrion said. “We must support and plan for all New Yorkers, including four-legged ones, during these times, and we are grateful to all of the animal welfare partners who have stepped up to create the Pet Hotline and provide lifesaving services to animals.”

The Task Force is a collaboration between city agencies and nonprofits, including the Humane Society of the United States, the ASPCA, Animal Haven, Animal Care Centers of NYC, Bideawee, American Red Cross, Mayor’s Alliance for NYC’s Animals, NYC VERT, New York State Animal Protection Federation, Best Friends Animal Society, and PAWS NY.

“During this time of uncertainty and fear, we understand people need the comfort of their companion animals more than ever,” said Christine Kim, Senior Community Liaison for the Mayor’s Office of Animal Welfare. “In order to keep people and their animals together, we have ensured that animals are included in the safety net we have created for all New Yorkers.”

The Pet Hotline will help mitigate people’s questions and concerns about keeping their pets during the COVID-19 crisis, as well as connect callers to pet relief resources such as subsidized emergency veterinary care and food and supply distribution services.

“The COVID-19 crisis affects all New Yorkers, including pet owners seeking information and resources to keep their companion animals safe,” said Brian Shapiro, New York State director for the Humane Society of the United States. “This pet hotline offers valuable direction and assistance to those most in need.”

For New York City residents with pets requiring a higher level of care, cases will be escalated for coordination of temporary placement or supplemental care of animals.

“Although critical animal care resources are now available for pet owners who need them, including pet food, urgent medical services, and emergency boarding, knowing how and where to access these services during a crisis can be challenging,” ASPCA President and CEO Matt Bershadker said. “The NYC COVID-19 Pet Hotline will significantly help solve that problem.”

Service dogs miss the world

Imagine being a puppy trying to learn all of the nuances of becoming a service dog going out in an environment that’s suddenly become very quiet.

Officials for Assistance Canine Training Services (A.C.T.S.) are doing all they can to raise and train the 15 puppies that are currently in the program preparing to be placed with people in need of assistance.

“It’s been very different, not just for us, but for the puppies, too,” said Robin Crocker, A.C.T.S.’ head administrator, told the Sun last Friday. “I think they’ll really notice the effect of this when we start to go back to a new normal and there are people everywhere.

“We plan on bringing the pups back slowly and will be having lots of training on the handling of this transition.”

Crocker said while most pets enjoy having family members around, working from home or doing remote learning, “our dogs are actually a little bored. They miss going out to classes, miss going for adventures and miss play dates with other puppies.”

A.C.T.S. was started in Center Tuftonboro in 2007 and moved to the Mount Washington Valley in 2014. Since then, the volunteer-run 501(c)(3) non-profit has graduated 30 teams.

Service dog training “hinges around public-access training, which prepares dogs for the many hours they will spend in places like stores, movie theaters, medical offices, and hospitals,” Crocker said.

Training teams now are asked to work with their dogs in public only when it is clear social distancing can be easily facilitated.

“A.C.T.S. normally provides weekly training classes and group field trips for puppy raisers,” Crocker said. “Until state social distancing guidelines are lifted and it is safe for the group to gather, these sessions in Fryeburg and Raymond in Maine; Center Tuftonboro; and Burlington, Vt., have been canceled.”

A.C.T.S. normally celebrates each year’s graduating teams with a ceremony in May. Three teams (involving a service dog, a facility dog and an explosive detection dog) were set to graduate next month but it has now been pushed to May 21. Meanwhile, the three dogs slated to graduate have gone to live with the people they were paired with and are thriving, according to Crocker.

However, “graduation is a very big event for A.C.T.S.,” said Nan Ippolito, graduation coordinator. “This is the event we use each year to celebrate our new teams and to allow our volunteers to experience first-hand the results of their hard work.”

While things have gone quiet, volunteer trainers have devised ways to maintain contact with puppy raisers.

Crocker said A.C.T.S. has a private Facebook group that is active and where puppy raisers and volunteers can exchange messages with administrators and trainers daily as well as with each other.

Crocker also said they are providing training videos and fun challenges on their volunteer Facebook page.

“The challenges come in a variety of formats so that everyone can participate,” she said. “If you are not feeling like teaching your dog a trick, then you can accept the challenge to provide a good treat recipe or comment on how a posted trick might have been taught.”

Most of the puppies in training are in Maine and New Hampshire, but two are in Vermont, and one is in California.

“Our three puppies that are further away are working with Shelby Packard (of Conway), who is currently coordinating our University of Vermont Puppy Raising Program,” said Crocker, noting that Packard is providing weekly training projects via Zoom.

Crocker recently held her own online Zoom meeting with trainers, an event where puppy raisers kept their dogs in a “down stay” next to them while participating.

“Of course we are looking forward to getting back to our normal training,” she said. “And it goes without saying that we all miss seeing each other and all the puppies. But we must be safe, so we will continue this way as long as it is necessary.”

A.C.T.S. is scheduled to have two puppies arrive to begin their 18-month journey to service work. One will arrive at the end of May and another at the end of June.

“We always need puppy people,” Crocker said, adding, “We do have two people for these dogs.”

While puppy raisers usually make 18-month commitments to care for the young dogs, Crocker said A.C.T.S. is adding six-month puppy raising opportunities.

“This is a difficult time for many non-profits,” said Kelley Brown, chair of A.C.T.S.’ board of directors.

“Everyone is facing challenges that they never could have imagined. Through the work A.C.T.S. did with their Assistance Dogs International accreditation, and because of the dedicated and professional team running the organization, we were as prepared as possible for this.

“We remain as healthy as an organization as we hope all our supporters are as individuals. And we so look forward to returning to a time and place when we can be out seeing everyone around town.”

“Good Boy”

“Good Boy” is the June 2020 installment of Blumhouse Television’s “Into the Dark” horror franchise that streams on Hulu. It will premiere June 12, in celebration of Pet Appreciation Week.

The film centers on Maggie (Greer, who also executive produces), a woman who gets an emotional support dog (Chico) to help quell some of her anxiety. Only, she finds him to be even more effective than she could have imagined because, unbeknownst to her, he kills anyone who adds stress to her life. It was by Aaron and Will Eisenberg, who wrote the role of Maggie specifically for Greer.

“It was so funny, I was walking Mary one day,” Greer said of her own dog on a set visit to “Good Dog,” of which Variety was a part, “and I was walking by Bricks & Scones coffee shop on Larchmont where I guess every writer is — in fact, when I was writing my book I went there. And Aaron and Will ran up to me and were like, ‘Judy, Judy Greer! We’re not weird; we’re writers.’ And at the time they were represented at my same management company. They were like, ‘This is so crazy that you’re walking by because we’re putting together this pitch for this idea for this movie and we’re writing it really for you, and then here you are walking by with this small terrier, and it’s just too crazy and just too good to be true.”

Greer later met with the Eisenbergs for an actual coffee to talk about the project, and she signed on, in part, because of how she related to her character’s desire to have a companion in her dog. Greer rescued Mary in order to have someone she could take with her when she traveled, she said. Similarly, she personally understood the idea of an emotional support dog not being exactly what she imagined.

“She’s so awful to everyone that I can’t let anyone take care of her because if she bites anyone they’ll totally sue me, so I can’t really take her with me when I go places and she’s not emotionally supportive,” Greer said. “In fact, she stresses me out so much because of her nature and how troubled she seems and how f—ed up her life was before I met her. So I feel like I really am her emotional support human.”

In “Good Boy,” Guttenberg is Don, Maggie’s “misanthropic but at times soft around the edges” boss, while Wong is Annie, a former baby-sitting charge of Maggie’s who recently moved to Los Angeles and rekindles their friendship. Neal is Dr. Linda Johnson, Maggie’s fertility doctor; and Alonso is Bea, Maggie’s “no-nonsense” landlord; and Freeman plays Nate, who is a “detective who believes deeply in law and order, which causes his burgeoning relationship with Maggie to tailspin when he is confronted with a gray area in which he realizes she is operating.”

“Good Boy” was directed by Tyler MacIntyre.

Greer is repped by CAA, Artists First and Fred Toczek. Guttenberg is repped by Binder & Associates. Wong is repped by Innovative Artists and Premiere Talent. Neal is repped by BRS/Gage Talent Agency. Alonso is repped by Mavrik Artists Agency and Luber Roklin Entertainment. Freeman is repped by Artists and Representatives; Luber Roklin; and Goodman, Genow, Schenkman, Smelkinson & Christopher. Chico is repped by Worldwide Movie Animals.

“Into the Dark” is a monthly horror event partnership between Blumhouse and Hulu. Each feature-length installment is inspired by a holiday and features Blumhouse’s signature genre/thriller spin on the story. The most recent installments have been Easter’s “Pooka Lives!”, St. Patrick Day’s “Crawlers,” and the aptly-titled “My Valentine” for Valetine’s Day. “Delivered,” the May 2020 installment centers on Mother’s Day and will stream May 8.

Lost and hound

Dogs have played a role in improving airport security and enhancing passenger experience for decades. From detecting explosives to assisting travellers with disabilities, we round up how they are helping operators across the world.

Airport security

Dogs are crucial members of an airports’ security ecosystem. The US Transportation Security Administration (TSA) annually trains thousands of dogs for a range of jobs, including explosives detection or prevention of smuggling.

Their employment in security lanes has been on a sharp rise since 1974 when an NYPD-owned German Shepherd managed to sniff out a bomb that had been stowed inside an aircraft at New York’s John F. Kennedy Airport, ultimately averting disaster.

The episode eventually paved the way for more dogs of a variety of breeds patrolling airports and security lanes in the years that followed.

Canine teams – like the Beagle Brigade in the US – are trained not only to identify explosives but also drugs, cash, wildlife, animal parts such as ivory and rhino horns, contraband items and even foreign and potentially harmful plants, like in the case of the Beagle Brigade in the US.

However, multiple studies have previously shown that their detecting capabilities are not infallible – with some even mentioning a percentage error of over 50%. Although opinions on the matter are divided, the reports remain symptomatic of the fact that security operators cannot entirely rely on animal help to carry out their tasks.

Detecting medical conditions

They might not be of much use in the ongoing global attempt to stop the Coronavirus outbreak – as operators are currently adopting screening technologies at airports – but medicals detection dogs can be of great help when it comes to other diseases.

This is according to research carried out in 2018, which found dogs could be trained to sniff people’s odours to identify some specific illnesses, especially malaria. “While our findings are at an early stage, in principle we have shown that dogs could be trained to detect malaria-infected people by their odour with a credible degree of accuracy,” principle investigator Professor Steve Lindsay, from the Department of Biosciences at Durham University, said at the time.

“This could provide a non-invasive way of screening for the disease at ports of entry in a similar way to how sniffer dogs are routinely used to detect fruit and vegetables or drugs at airports,” he added.

Assistance for visually impaired travellers and other disabilities

Assistance dogs provide vital help to travellers with disabilities (whether visible or invisible) and medical conditions. Currently accepted on the vast majority of world flights, these hounds are highly skilled and trained to support owners through the airport and on-board aircraft.

Their role in this process is so important that the industry tends to allow them on board free of charge, although this may vary depending on the size of the animal.

However, the same cannot be said of pets who are not professionally trained to provide assistance, but are instead brought on a plane to provide comfort to their owners. Known as ‘emotional support animals’ (ESAs), these vary from dogs and cats to the more unusual iguanas and peacocks. Over the past few years, ESAs have been on a sharp rise especially in the US where several airlines have witnessed a growing number of passengers apply to carry their pets on-board.

An issue that has divided public opinion – as well as the Airport industry Review team – it was recently put in the hands of the US Department of Transportation, which proposed in February that only certified assistance animals be allowed on-board.

Anxiety relief for nervous fliers

There is no doubt that dogs can be of great relief to stressed passengers before and after their trip. You may have heard of names like the Canine Crew, the Pre-Board Pals or the Wag Brigade. These are only some of the many initiatives airports recently adopted to provide therapy dogs to nervous fliers.

Dogs of different breeds and sizes can now be found patrolling Aberdeen and Southampton airports in the UK, Calgary in Canada, and several US hubs including Pittsburgh and Phoenix.

“The mere action of stroking a dog slows down the heartbeat and reduces blood pressure so they will be a great help to anyone feeling nervous about their journey,” Diane Wood, trustee of the Canine Concern Scotland Trust and area representative for Aberdeenshire North Therapet said after launching Aberdeen Airport’s Canine Crew. “The dogs will work in pairs, for two hours at a time once a week and we plan to keep everybody updated about what dogs are visiting and when.”

Keeping wildlife at bay

A job usually reserved for hawks – and, in most recent times, drones – minimising runway disruption caused by wildlife is something a border collie at Cherry Capital Airport in Traverse City, Michigan, used to do permanently.

Globally famous thanks to social media, the dog – who sadly passed away in 2018 – carried out patrolling strolls at the airport for four years, chasing hazardous wildlife and birds to keep its runway safe from intruders.