We are too. But airports around the world are going all out to keep travelers and germs apart during this scary coronavirus time.
But for those worried about germs that may be spread by petting those stress-busting therapy pups, Reno-Tahoe International Airport (RNO) has some good news.
In addition to all the COVID-19 precautions they are taking, Reno-Tahoe Airport is also sanitizing the pups on the Paws 4 Passengers team after each ‘use.’
So go ahead. If you’re traveling you can safely pet those pups. RNO is operating with safe pup-cleaning-protocol.
And we suspect other airports are doing this too.
We not only sanitize handrails & restrooms at RNO, we sanitize our Paws 4 Passengers therapy dogs! Pups are in the terminal now greeting passengers and spreading love, but not germs. After each scritch and pet, their owners wipe down the dogs with medical-grade sanitizing wipes. pic.twitter.com/iU1RIuSgTA
Last year about this time, there was quite a stir about airlines tightening up their rules about the definition of emotional support animals.
Delta Air Lines got the ball rolling by issuing a new policy banning service and support animals under four months of age regardless of flight length. The new policy also banned emotional support animals of any age on flights longer than eight hours.
Other airlines followed Delta’s lead.
Then, right as the Christmas travel rush kicks, Popeye’s at Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) shares news of a meal on its menu being served in a chicken-shaped box.
The box was labeled as an “emotional support chicken.”
The cocky campaign was a nod to news stories about the wide variety of animals, including peacocks, pigs, monkeys and spiders that try to take onboard for free.
“We appreciate how comforting emotional support animals are and wanted to create our own version,” said Hope Diaz, CMO of Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen, “The good news is that our emotional support chicken is permitted to fly without any restrictions – one less worry for busy travelers!”
Should they bring that emotional support chicken (in a box) back?
Airports around the country celebrated National Dog Day (August 26) with announcements of new pet therapy programs and celebrations of their working pups.
We're tired of you hounding us. On #NationalDogDay we want you to paws what you're doing and listen – Therapy dogs are coming to MCO! Roll over to MCO and get ready to pet – The #MCOPawPilots program kicks off this Friday, 8/30. 🐶 pic.twitter.com/EIllMDp4kO
For #InternationalDogsDay, we'd like to give a special thanks to our furry friends roaming the terminal to comfort passengers flying through PIT! Have you met any of the pups on the PIT Paws therapy dog team or collected any of their trading cards? https://t.co/aF2HaOERK2pic.twitter.com/hVuH9EaJLH
— Pittsburgh International Airport (@PITairport) August 26, 2019
Happy #InternationalDogDay! This our our paw pal Alpine the Adventurer! He was only 8 weeks old when he flew for the first time and we are honored to be his first airport experience!
The move came in response to increase incidents of aggressive pets and, in some cases, of pets biting and attacking passengers and employees in airports.
Now Tampa International Airport (TPA), which last May was in the news when a dog traveling as an emotional support animal gave birth to puppies in the terminal, has joined the herd in stepping up its enforcement of restricting non-service animals at the airport.
The aim of TPA’s new policy is reducing injuries to pets and people as well as enhancing cleanliness and sanitation at the airport.
Starting this week, TPA will begin educating pet owners about the airport policy which, it notes, has been in place for decades but loosely enforced.
The policy states that traveling non-service animals (i.e. pets) must be properly confined in a pet carrier or controlled on a leash when they are in the airport.
In addition, pets that are not traveling, such as those greeting arriving passengers in the Main Terminal, are not allowed at TPA.
At the end of March, pet owners who are not following the rules will receive warnings and there could be citations for non-compliant guests.
LIke other airport, TPA is experiencing record passenger growth and a record numbers of animals in the terminals. And TPA paramedics, police and maintenance staff are responding to an increased number of injuries to people and pets and cleaning up hundreds of pet ‘accidents.’
TPA’s policy enforcement was endorsed by the Humane Society of Tampa Bay, which says the policy is a necessary measure to reduce animal incidents such as paw injuries on escalators.
What do you think of this trend? Do you bring your pet to the airport? Have you seen witnessed pets misbehaving at airports?
A pet traveling as an emotional support animal gave birth to puppies last year at Tampa International Airport.
Football fan or not, it’s hard not to love the Puppy Bowl pre-game event that is now a Super Bowl-day tradition.
The event is so cute – and so good for promoting the adoption of puppies and dogs (and cats), that Denver International Airport holds is own Puppy Bowl.
DEN’s fourth annual Puppy Bowl will take place in the main terminal from 10 a.m. to noon on Friday, Feb. 1.
The “players” will include eight adoptable puppies and two adoptable adult dogs from the Denver’s animal shelter/humane society, called the Dumb Friends League.
Pets featured at the DEN Puppy Bowl will be available for adoption the following day or following week at the Petco Adoption Center in Denver on a first-come, first-serve basis.
If you’re not able to attend the event in-person, be assured the airport will be sharing snaps of the puppies in action on social media (#DENPuppyBowl) and showing all the DEN Puppy Bowl “game footage” on the DEN Facebook page after the event.
