Vancouver International Airport’s canine remedy for anxious travellers program is again after being on “paws” due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
And it has been made everlasting, six years after YVR started a pilot program.
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During the summer time journey season, six remedy dogs offered roughly 174 hours to assist passengers, easing travel-related stress for not simply travellers but in addition weary airline and airport employees, in line with YVR.
Eric Pateman, YVR’s chief expertise officer and vp of passenger journey stated they started testing this system in 2017 nevertheless it was on maintain throughout the pandemic. It returned this summer time and is so well-liked they determined to make it a everlasting fixture.
“I hear so many great stories and see employees coming back from their lunch breaks after visiting the dogs with big smiles on their faces,” he stated Wednesday.
“It was amazing watching the interaction with the public and with a couple of pilots who had just come off a flight…people are just drawn to them.”
Passengers can discover the dogs from Monday to Friday between 11 a.m. and a pair of p.m. close to the place the SkyTrain meets the terminal.
Pateman stated a majority of individuals really feel some kind of tension or stress round touring and he’s witnessed travellers visibly relax after petting one of many animals.
“There’s no better way to remove a huge amount of that stress by simply getting some puppy kisses,” he stated.
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Pateman stated they plan to broaden this system so as to add extra dogs and function seven days per week by the winter. Other plans embrace methods to convey the dogs to passengers who’re dealing with extreme pre-boarding anxiousness, and coaching employees to raised assist passengers with autism.
He stated there are volunteers and staff all engaged on methods to have interaction the dogs extra with those that want them.
“Obviously with the limited timeframe right now it would be more challenging to find those opportunities. But as the program expands, we potentially will add dogs post security, and all of these things will allow us to better enhance that experience and take away more of that anxiety specifically in those periods where it’s most needed,” he stated.
