By Lauren Cavagnolo | Photos by Steve Bull, Sirius Photography
Sarah and Buzz, two of Tulsa International Airport’s newest volunteers, create quite the stir as they stand just outside of security. Women squeal and gush about how cute they are, flight attendants stop to have their picture taken with them, kids rush up to them excitedly while their dads go ahead and set all the luggage down because they know this is going to take a while.
After all, who could resist the chance to stop and pet a Great Pyrenees or Greyhound instead of going through airport security? Welcome Waggin’, which piloted in February with a team of nine handlers and therapy dogs, will be expanding just in time for summer travel. In April, the program was opened up to all dog/handler teams certified by Alliance of Therapy Dogs (ATD), a national organization.
Since the program launched, Michelle Evans, marketing coordinator for Tulsa International Airport, says they have received a lot of favorable response.
“People are so excited to see the dogs,” she said. “They go on to tell you stories about their pets, saying how happy they are to see the dogs. It’s been really good feedback.” Tulsa International Airport is now one of 61 airports in the country to have a therapy dog program, Evans said. “I learned about therapy dog programs in airports over 10 years ago. So, this is something that is taking place all over the nation. It just was a matter of timing. ATD approached us, and airport management was open to it. So, here we go,” she added.
In addition to being certified by ATD for at least a year, all of the volunteers must go through an interview process with the airport, attend a badge training class, and be background checked and fingerprinted, just like any other airport employee who works post security.
Volunteers sign up for two-hour shifts at a time, which is the limit for the dogs. Shifts are available seven days a week from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m., with two slots available per shift. “It really has been fun; I didn’t have any therapy dog experience before this program,” Evans said. “They are really exceptional animals, and the handlers, themselves, they really have a high customer experience personality. They are really wanting to help and wanting to make people happy. It’s really been so neat to be a part of it. And I get to pet dogs!”
However, those with allergies or people who just do not care for dogs don’t need to worry about their space being invaded when traveling through TUL.
“You can tell, the handlers are watching the people’s body language, and if somebody doesn’t look receptive, they don’t even approach,” assured Evans. “They are looking for the person that is watching the dog and kind of has a grin on their face. And before they approach, they ask if they can approach. They want to make people happy; they don’t want to make somebody uncomfortable. So, they are extremely cognizant of that. And watching the dogs, they will move toward somebody they know who wants to come and get some love.”
All therapy dogs stationed at the airport will be sporting white bandanas with red lettering, and their handlers will have on red jackets and airport badges. The bandanas help set the therapy dogs apart from service dogs that wear vests and should not be approached while working.
Shirley Johnson, Welcome Waggin’ volunteer, noted an important distinction is that while a therapy dog is hands-on and for all people, a service dog serves one purpose for one person.
Dustin Meyer, who is a local tester/ observer with Alliance of Therapy Dogs, initiated the program with the airport. “I have read quite a bit about the good that therapy dogs do for the passengers, and I’ve always thought that this is something I’d like to see get started out here in Tulsa,” Meyer said.
Having all of the dogs certified through ATD means that each dog has been tested, and all of the handlers have been fully insured, Meyer said.
“I think what sets us apart is our dogs are all certified therapy dogs, not just a comfort dog or a therapy dog in name only.” While Meyer is not sure that there will ever be enough teams to fill every shift available, he is optimistic about the growth of the program.
“I’ve been told there are probably 130 teams in the Tulsa area; I have no idea how many people will actually be interested in doing this,” Meyer said. “It would be lovely to have a dog or two out there every day of the week.”
Since opening up the program in April, three new teams have been approved. “The response has been great,” Meyer said. “We have had 20 people apply, and so far, we have approved three new teams. We will be conducting interviews and observations for the next several weeks.”
Meyer said he got involved with ATD in 2011 and currently has two certified therapy dogs. Merlin is a red Golden Retriever. At 11 years old, he has made over 800 visits to various locations as a therapy dog. However, age is catching up with him, and he will be retiring, Meyer explained. Meyer’s other Golden Retriever, Midas, will be taking over as his dog at the airport.
“People get a real kick out of him,” Meyer said of Midas. “He was born blind, but he doesn’t know he is blind. He is just a very happy-go-lucky, wonderful dog, so we get a lot of good response at the airport when people find out he is blind. They say, ‘Oh, gosh, I could never tell by the way he acts or the way he looks!’ I just tell people he is blind, and I am his human guide.”
Shirley Johnson, who is Sarah Belle’s handler, says she and her 2-year-old Great Pyrenees have visted a variety of locations since Sarah became a certified therapy dog about a year ago.
“The airport is just a neat venue because it is really upbeat for the most part. We are still providing a ministry, which is something that is important to me and Sarah. You never know what a person is traveling with emotionally. They may be going on a fun trip, girls’ weekend, or they may be going to a funeral. You just don’t know,” Johnson said. “We try to be open to whatever people are going through at the moment and just give them that bit of hope and light. There are times that we share our story, and it makes a difference for people. And there are other times that just simply petting the dog is enough to change the course of their day.”
Johnson is a heart transplant survivor and said visits from therapy dogs during her recovery made a huge difference.
“I spent over a month on life support, and I was in a different city. They brought therapy dogs in. I was already an active handler, but I was out of my element. And they brought in the therapy dogs, and it made a huge impact on my recovery,” Johnson recalled. “One of my promises was if I survived, I was going to dedicate my life to helping others with my therapy dogs. And here I am.”
Johnson said any breed of dog can make a good therapy dog, but socialization is key.
“High socialization is really important. That is key to a therapy dog in general,” Johnson said. “If you want to work the airport though, you have got to have a dog that has been exposed to all types of sounds and situations, noises, dropping of things. People drop luggage all the time; sirens go off on a regular basis, and the dogs need to be ready for that.”
Having the right team in place, however, can make a difference in someone else’s day.
“We have had a couple of people come in for sad reasons, and they have stopped and wept in the dogs’ fur and said, ‘You have no idea how much this means to me today.’ Being there in those moments, they are fleeting, but they are profound at the same time,” Johnson said.
Passengers aren’t the only ones benefiting from the presence of therapy animals at the airport.
“We are here for the staff at the airport as much as we are for the public. The service we provide is for all people,” Johnson said. “Another great thing about the dogs, is these therapy dogs are not prejudiced in any way, shape or form. They just love people, and their handlers are the same.”
Laura Hunt, Buzz’s handler, said therapy dog work was not necessarily on her radar. After adopting Buzz, a Greyhound who was injured while training to race, Hunt signed him up for obedience training.
“The first thing I did with Buzz was take him through obedience at Spirit Ranch, and the owner said she thought he would be a great therapy dog,” Hunt said. “I did not have an idea of what a therapy dog really did or was. So, I looked into it and thought that sounds great.”
Hunt said they have been working as a therapy dog team for about a year and a half, starting with local schools, community colleges and nursing homes.
“He loves it; he loves meeting new people. The biggest comment about him is that he is so soft, or ‘Is that a Greyhound; did he race?’ A lot of people know about Greyhounds, but they have never seen one in person. It’s a good way to be a breed ambassador, so people realize how good of a pet they are. He is very calm.”
One of the things Hunt said she loves about being part of a therapy dog team is talking to other people.
“I love the fact that so many people come up and want to pet them. But then they also want to tell you about their dog. And I love that idea. I love to hear about other people’s dogs and for them to be able to pet [Buzz]. There have been several people who say I needed that before I got on the plane, and that is kind of surprising to me; I’ve never been that afraid of flying necessarily, but I know the therapy part, there are other things that stress me out that a dog is good about. I think that has been the best part, is the people that come up and tell you, ‘I really needed it.’”
Johnson agrees that you never know who might benefit from just a few minutes with a therapy dog.
“People as a whole try to put on their best face when they are in public,” Johnson said. “And for somebody to see them, truly see them, and sometimes it is just that dog that sees them—they have that acknowledgement; some being cares. And it can really change your day.”
Those interested in volunteering for a Welcome Waggin’ shift should contact the Alliance of Therapy Dogs for more information at www.therapydogs.com. ■
