Gunner, a 10-year old Black Lab, visits with Havin (left) and Dawson (right) Mckay as they wait for their mother's flight to land at Gerald R. Ford International Airport on Monday, October 8, 2013. The airport is launching a new therapy dog program to help take the stress and anxiety out of travel. (Lauren Petracca | MLive.com)
Amy Meinecke poses with Gunner, her 10-year old Black Lab, at Gerald R. Ford International Airport on Monday, October 8, 2013. The airport is launching a new therapy dog program to help take the stress and anxiety out of travel.
GRAND RAPIDS, MI — Flying isn’t always a smooth endeavor, especially when you’re caught in an airport during the middle of an eight-hour delay.
Lisa Hawkins of Spirit Lake, ID, looked downright exhausted — “bored,” she said recently while waiting for a flight to New York City’s LaGuardia Airport. Thunderstorms along the East Coast pushed back her departure time, with a final destination to Montreal, Canada.
Then Gunner, a 9-year-old black Labrador retriever, came over to console her.
“When you’re having these moments where things don’t go as planned, this definitely takes some of the stress out of the day,” Hawkins said.
Gunner is part of the Gerald R. Ford International Airport's new therapy dog program, in partnership with West Michigan Therapy Dogs Inc. Throughout the week, one of two trainers and their dog walks around the common and terminal areas of the airport to provide assistance to anyone who just wants to de-stress, said Tara Hernandez, the airport's spokeswoman.
The program comes at no cost to the airport thanks to their partner’s nonprofit status and its volunteers — with the exception of dog treats.
“As much as we want to be perfect at the airport, we know that travel isn’t,” said Hernandez, who discovered similar programs at four airports across the U.S., including in Los Angeles. “We wanted to have something that people could relate to, that would kind of ease that tension.”
Dogs undergo an eight-week training course with West Michigan Therapy Dogs and are subjected to noisy environments, including hospitals and schools, said Amy Meinecke, director of programs for the nonprofit.
Before even stepping foot into the airport, the dogs already are adjusted to the hustle and bustle of the terminals and loud noises, she said.
However, an airport provides a different layer of complexity for both the dogs and their handlers.
“It’s having to go through the TSA checkpoint, going through the metal detector … that was new, and we didn’t know what would happen the first time we came with our dogs,” Meinecke said. “But we prepared.
“The dogs were like, ‘Whatever;’ they slid right through.”
Airport officials and the trainers understand some travelers might give pause to having a dog in the airport, whether they don't like them or they're allergic, Meinecke said. If that's the case, the trainer and their dog understands to back off.
Hernandez hopes the program becomes something the airport becomes known for, perhaps expanding it with additional volunteers and more dogs to cover each weekday.
Gunner appeared to enjoy his time in the airport, wagging his tail at anyone who’d stop to visit. A vest on his body gives the OK to pet him, and a group of Army cadets waiting for their flight to South Carolina’s Fort Jackson couldn’t resist the temptation.
“You just want to pet him,” said Kirk Brown, a cadet. “Can’t help but smile.”
Andrew Krietz covers breaking and general police/fire news for MLive | The Grand Rapids Press. Email him at akrietz@mlive.com or follow him on Twitter.