The Santa Barbara Airport (SBA) will host Therapy Dogs of Santa Barbara to alleviate stress for holiday travelers during specific days this year, KCBX FM reports.
Jody Williams is the development coordinator for Therapy Dogs of Santa Barbara. She said, “The human-animal bond is scientifically proven to help reduce blood pressure, reduce anxiety, lower stress levels.” Continuing, she added, “it has amazing health benefits and most importantly, in this scenario, immediate benefits.”
Williams mentioned the dogs undergo rigorous training to stay composed even in the middle of a bustling airport. “All of our dogs are very friendly and can be trusted with any sort of interaction with the public,” she emphasized.
High number of travelers expected during the holidays
Angi Daus, the airport’s marketing supervisor, highlighted a surge in holiday travel this year. According to her, they are expecting over 2,000 daily travelers — which is a few hundred more than usual.
“One of the things that we know is that it’s stressful and that many people only travel during the holidays,” she stated.
Therapy dogs and their owners began visiting the terminal at the end of November and will return on varying dates.
Daus said, “On our busier days, there’s going to be teams of between three and six volunteers with their therapy dogs stationed as you walk into the main entrance, possibly in the baggage claim, and then upstairs post-security checkpoint.”
Travelers will be able to recognize these therapy dogs by their purple bandanas.
Santa Barbara airport formerly hosted guide dogs
It’s not the first time that the Santa Barbara Airport has invited dogs in to help travelers. According to Edhat Santa Barbara, the airport hosted a Guide Dogs for the Blind (GDB) training event in May of 2023.
Young guide trainees and volunteer “puppy raisers” attended the event. While there, they engaged in specialized training to instruct puppies on navigating various sections of a busy airport.
In particular, the training exposed the pups to the varied sounds and activities found in a transportation hub. It also included familiarizing them with the Transportation Security Agency (TSA) Checkpoint at SBA.
This experience, and others like it, are crucial to the animals’ preparations to become guide dogs, eventually aiding blind or visually impaired travelers during air travel.
