“If you’re traveling over the holidays, you know it’s a stressful experience. From crowds to screenings, traffic and worries about boarding on time, an airport in Reno, Nevada, is hoping to soothe passengers.
A volunteer organization called Paws 4 Passengers brings certified therapy dogs into terminals to encourage smiles and change the overall mood.
“It’s always stressful traveling. so seeing dogs here makes everybody feel good,” Sheri Heimerdinger told KOLO as she waited to pick up her mother at the Reno-Tahoe International Airport.
Sheri Harwell of Paws 4 Passengers said the dogs help calm those who might be nervous about flying.
“They just bring warmth, love and joy to all the people here,” she said.
Harwell said she’s also seen the dogs seek out a belly rub from people they sense may need them the most.
“If we see a child that’s really crying and upset and having a fit. We’ll try to go over. That’s what Brooke does. She’ll go over there and just sit there with that little kid and calm them down,” Harwell said. “The parents are always saying thank you, thank you, thank you.”
Paws 4 Passengers was founded in 2013 and currently has a team of 30 therapy dogs….”
View the whole story here: https://www.wcvb.com/article/they-just-bring-warmth-love-and-joy-therapy-dogs-lighten-the-mood-at-stressful-airport-terminal/38601322