From therapy, to border security, to chasing birds off the tarmac, these four-legged 麻豆传媒映画International Airport workers do it all.
On Monday, 18 dogs were out in the international departures terminal, accepting pats from YVR visitors as staff showed off the important roles they each play at the airport every day.
鈥淭he work these dogs do to keep the terminal and the community safe and also travelers calm and happy is immeasurable,鈥� said Reg Krake, director of customer care at YVR. 鈥淭hese dogs, along with their handlers and respective organizations are vital members of our airport community.鈥�
Det. Danielle Getzie, a Canadian Border Services Agency, has worked with her eight-year-old canine companion, Nova, since the pup was less than a year old. Together, the pair searches for drugs and guns at the airport.
鈥淲hen she comes to work, it鈥檚 all fun, it鈥檚 play, we鈥檙e having fun together,鈥� Getzie said. 鈥淪he finds whatever she鈥檚 going to find, she tells me there鈥檚 something there (by sitting) and then she gets rewarded with a tennis ball. So it鈥檚 all about play.鈥�
Getzie said sometimes Nova finds suspicious items six or seven times per day, some days she doesn鈥檛 find anything at all.
鈥淲e cover vast areas. Depending on where we are searching, we鈥檙e going to get different amounts of hits,鈥� Getzie said. 鈥淏asically we鈥檙e in search mode and we鈥檙e out hunting.鈥�
Another dog with an important role at YVR is Pilot, a mudi who has been helping to scare away birds on the airfield since November.
鈥淗e鈥檚 a really good dog,鈥� said Josh Ng, Pilot鈥檚 handler and caretaker. 鈥淗e鈥檚 really fun to work with.鈥�
Meanwhile, five-month-old Wilbur doesn鈥檛 have a specific job at YVR, but he鈥檚 in training to become an assistance dog with Pacific Assistance Dogs Society (PADS) through a sponsorship with the airport.
Sarah Gallagher, a PADS volunteer and airport employee who is helping to train Wilbur, brings the energetic pup to work every day.
鈥淗e鈥檚 a puppy-in-training so he is learning how to socialize and learning his manners,鈥� Gallagher said.
鈥淗e comes to meetings with me, he鈥檚 in my office, he will sit and he has to be able to settle鈥e has to walk through the terminals from time to time and not get distracted so it鈥檚 a really fantastic training ground for him.鈥�
.While the puppies won鈥檛 actually work at the airport when they鈥檙e older, they will eventually take on one of four jobs: a service dog, hearing dog, accredited facility dog or PTSD dog for veterans and first responders.
Another airport program making use of these four-legged helpers was launched approximately one year ago. Known as the 鈥渓ess airport stress initiative,鈥� or LASI, the program partnership with St. John鈥檚 Ambulance sees some ambassador dogs roaming the departure gates with their handlers, helping travelers feel at ease.
聽鈥淭his program鈥檚 been a huge success,鈥� Krake said. 鈥淓ven with our best efforts to make the airport experience a pleasant one for everybody, we recognize that air travel can be stressful.鈥�
For Yvonne Jackson, who brings her Bernese mountain dog, Branston, to the airport, the effect a simple interaction can have for travelers is remarkable.
鈥�(The travelers) just have a calm that comes over them and a smile to their face,鈥� Jackson said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 just nice to see.鈥�
With all these dogs around the airport, it can be tempting to give them all a pat. However, Krake reminds visitors that most of these dogs are on the job and that it鈥檚 important to ask their handler if they can be pet.
鈥淲hile we encourage you all to interact with our ambassador dogs, it鈥檚 also important to remember that it isn鈥檛 all treats and snuggles for these dogs,鈥� he said. 鈥淎t YVR, almost all the dogs you see today are actually working animals.鈥�
