Animals

Miniature horses at Vancouver Int’l Airport

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A real dog and pony show at YVR Airport

The folks at Vancouver International Airport (YVR) know travel can be stressful.

That’s why this award-winning airport has great art, a public observation area, a giant aquarium and lots of other great amenities.

Since 2017, the airport has also had a pet therapy program called the Less Airport Stress Initiative or LASI (get it?).

Until now, the LASI program was staffed with dogs.

But this summer, the airport is adding miniature therapy ponies to the team.

Throughout the summer, Miniature horses, Magic and Tinkerbell (3 and 17 years old respectively), and their handlers will be visiting from Green Acres, a local organization dedicated to equine-assisted activities (EAA) to improve well-being.

So pack some carrots in your carry-on.

While YVR may be the first airport in Canada to welcome miniature horses to the airport, they are not the first airport in North America to do so.

For several years, starting in 2016, Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG) welcomed miniature therapy horses from a local farm to mingle with travelers.

Download TSA’s 2025 Canine Calendar

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Love dogs and looking for a fun, free 2025 calendar?

Then check out the 2025 Canine Calendar put out – for free – by the Transportation Security Administration.

The calendar features 13 hard-working TSA canines selected from more than 80 entries submitted by TSA teams nationwide. Each month features photos, fun facts about each winning pup as well as notations for special holidays, such as Squirrel Appreciation Day (January 21) and World Chocolate Day (July 7).

The 2025 TSA Canine Calendar also includes factoids about the history of TSA’s canine program.

For example, if you turn to the March 2025 page you’ll learn that the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) canine program was created after a bomb threat at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) on March 15, 1972.

“On that day, moments into a flight, the airline received an anonymous call warning about a bomb onboard. The aircraft returned to JFK where passengers were evacuated and a bomb-sniffing dog named Brandy was brought on board to search. Brandy found the explosive device 12 minutes before it was set to detonate.“

Yay, Brandy!

Today, there are more than 1,000 canine teams (dogs and handlers) deployed at more than 100 of the nation’s airports, mass transit and maritime systems.

Not just any dog is suited to work with the TSA.

According to the TSA, each year about 300 new canine recruits complete an intensive 16-week training program at the TSA Canine Training Center, located at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland in San Antonio, Texas.

While in training, the dogs are paired with their handlers and then master the art of detecting a variety of explosives odors. The dogs are also trained on how to do their sensitive work while on duty in busy transportation environments.

Here’s the line-up for this year’s TSA Canine Calendar. Download your copy here.

  • Argo: Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI)
  • Arina: Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX)
  • Badger: Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD)
  • Barni: San Francisco International Airport (SFO)
  • Bely: Charleston International Airport (CHS)
  • Beny: Boston Logan International Airport (BOS)
  • Birdie: Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport (MKE)
  • Bruno: Jackson-Medgar Wiley Evers International Airport (JAN)
  • Carlo: Kansas City International Airport (MCI)
  • Dodo: Portland International Airport (PDX)
  • Hary: Richmond International Airport (RIC)
  • Kipper: San Diego International Airport (SAN)
  • Smokie: Dallas Love Field (DAL)

Airports celebrate National Dog Day

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Monday, August 26, was National Dog Day and airports around the country took the opportunity to celebrate the therapy dogs and their people who volunteer to hang out in the terminals helping passengers de-stress.

Here’s a sampling of some of the celebrations. Let us know if we missed yours.

And, look! After all the votes were counted, Barni from San Francisco International Airport (SFO) has been crowned the Cutest Canine for 2024.

Zebra spotted at SEA Airport – and lots of other places near Seattle

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(Courtesy SEA Airport)

Perhaps you’ve seen news reports about the four zebras that escaped from a trailer on a highway east of Seattle this week. 3 were quickly captured, but one is still on the loose.

There have been some real sightings of the last zebra out in the woods and we hope he’s found safe soon.

But in the meantime, locals are having a great time spotting the zebra in other places, including at the airport, on a ferry, on a bridge, at the Department of Motor Vehicles, in a police car and lots of other places.

Travel was a zoo at San Antonio Int’l Airport

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It can be crowded and stressful at the airport on the first day of a busy holiday weekend.

But on Friday, at the start of the July 4th weekend, it was a zoo at San Antonio International Airport (SAT).

Not because of the people. But because of the animals.

As part of SAT’s “Summer of Fun,” Zoomagination, an animal advocate program, brought a boa constrictor, an opossum, a parrot, and two sloths to the airport for animal encounters with travelers.

Why two sloths? Sloths sleep 18-20 hours a day, so when Snooze the Sloth needed a nap, Yogi took over.

(Photos courtesy SAT Airport)

Travel Tidbits for a busy holiday weekend

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The Memorial Day weekend is traditionally one of the busiest travel times. And this year is no exception.

AAA projects 42.3 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more from home this Memorial Day weekend, a 7% increase over 2022.

Many people will be driving to their destinations this weekend, but AAA says nearly 3.4 million travelers are expected to fly.

That’s an increase of 11% over last year and 5.4% more than in 2019.

“This Memorial Day weekend could be the busiest at airports since 2005,” says AAA.

So if you’re flying somewhere, pack your patience – and some snacks.

Therapy Cat at SFO Airport

San Francisco International Airport’s team of certified stress-relief animals, the Wag Brigade, includes dogs, a Flemish giant rabbit named Alex, and a Juliana-breed pig named Lilou.

Now the team has a new member: Duke Ellington Morris, known around town as ‘Duke the Cat.’

Duke is certified as a therapy cat by the San Francisco Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) and has been visiting area hospitals and other sites for many years.

Look for Duke and other SFO stress-relief animals wearing their “pet me” vests.

Air New Zealand’s amenity kits feature products inspired by Māori knowledge

Air New Zealand’s new onboard amenity kits now feature skincare products made by Aotea on Aotea/ Great Barrier Island that inspiration by traditional Māori herbal practices.

The products include native New Zealand ingredients, such as Kawakawa, Harakeke, and Mānuka, and are available to customers traveling in business premier and premium economy cabins.

“My grandmother was a Rongoā Māori (Māori medicine) practitioner,” says Aotea founder Tama Toki, “She would treat us kids with what we found in the bush and the Aotea range is an expression of that upbringing. It’s a privilege to be able to see this part of our culture onboard Air New Zealand flights.”

Stuck at the Airport: free flights + a pup parade

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Alaska Airlines Kraken Contest

This year’s Stanley Cup Playoffs are getting pretty exciting for fans of the Seattle Kraken.

The team has a surprise 2-1 lead against the Dallas Stars in a best-of-7 series and Game 4 is Tuesday night.

Alaska Airlines, the official airline of the Seattle Kraken, is joining in the fun by giving away free flights.

The number of flights they’ll give away is tied to the number on the jersey of the first player to score.

To participate in “Getaway Goals,” follow @alaskaair on social media, reply with the last name or number of the player you think will score first, and include #AlaskaAirGoals.

Here’s a link to the contest rules and here’s a link to The Seattle Kraken NHL site so you can study the players.

PUPs on Parade at Los Angeles International Airport

Pet therapy programs at airports are incredibly popular and the program at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) is about to celebrate its 10th anniversary with a pup parade.

The LAX PUPs program, which stands for Pets Unstressing Passengers, started in 2013 and now includes more than 80 dogs and their handlers.

On Wednesday, May 10, from 11 am until 1 pm, more than a dozen LAX PUPs and their volunteer handlers will participate in a pup parade – complete with red carpet – in Terminal 1, by Gate 17/18 at LAX and then stick around for a meet-and-greet and photo ops with ticketed passengers.

Cute alert: Denver Int’l Airport Puppy Bowl

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Football fan or not, if you like puppies (and who doesn’t?) you’ll want to tune in to Denver International Airport’s (DEN) Facebook live broadcast of this year’s Puppy Bowl.

The adorable face-off takes place Friday, Feb 10 from 10 a.m. to noon (Denver time).

If you’re in the DEN terminal, make your way to Level 5, near passenger arrival, to see it live.

DEN teams up with the Denver Animal Shelter (DAS) for this event, which doubles as an adoption event.

Here are some adorable puppy pics from past DEN Puppy Bowls so you know what to expect.

TSA’s explosive detection dogs in a calendar

Animals

Need a gift for the dog lover on your list?

The Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA) annual calendar might fit the bill.

The 2023 calendar honors the agency’s more than 1,000 explosives detection canines working in the United States. Ebbers, the TSA’s 2022 Cutest Canine contest winner, and a (now retired) explosives detection canine at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP) is on the cover.

The 2023 TSA Canine Calendar features photos and fun facts about each canine of the month and notes a wide variety of notable major and minor holidays, including National Popcorn Day and Squirrel Appreciation Day.

Here are the pups featured in order of their appearance on the calendar:

  • Dusan: Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW)
  • Rossi: Indianapolis International Airport (IND)
  • Tom-Magnum: John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK)
  • Shadow-Shaw: John Glenn Columbus International Airport (CMH)
  • Djole: LaGuardia Airport (LGA)
  • Loki: Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY)
  • Szonja: Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport (SJU)
  • EEbbers: Minneapolis−Saint Paul International Airport (MSP)
  • Egyes-Abel: Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU)
  • Messi: Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA)
  • Ava: Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA)
  • Tex-Teepe: San Antonio International Airport (SAT)
  • Teo: Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (ANC)

Download your free copy of the TSA 2023 Canine Calendar here.

Airports + National Bee Day

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Honey bees are experiencing a drastic decline in the United States and that’s having a negative impact on the global ecosystem.

Creating habitats where they can thrive is part of the solution. And on National Honey Bee Day, Saturday, August 20, we recognize the contributions honey bees make to our lives.

Airports abuzz

Airports around the country are doing their part to help the honey bees thrive by hosting honey bee hives on airport lands.

Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport (ORD), Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA), and Minneapolis – St. Paul International Airport (MSP) are among the airports that have apiaries on site.

The bees at MSP Airport are there as part of the University of Minnesota Bee Veterans program, which provides free beekeeping education for Minnesota Veterans, including monthly workshops, including in-person and online workshops.

Here’s a video from MSP showing honey bees in the hive.

Does your airport have hives? (Tee-hee) Let us know and we’ll update our list.