Oakland airport copycats SFO yet again with new animal program
The new animal therapy program launched shortly after the Oakland airport changed its name to San Francisco Bay Oakland International Airport. The Oakland airport has introduced a new animal therapy program, Canine Comfort at Oakland, designed to soothe anxious travelers. Therapy dogs will visit the airport on Mondays from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., rotating through the terminals to offer flyers a positive distraction before a flight. The program requires certification and training from the Valley Humane Society. Similar programs at San Francisco International Airport, the Wag Brigade, launched in 2013 featuring a giant rabbit and cat.
Опубликовано : 4 недели назад от Olivia Harden в Travel
Airports in the Bay Area are starting to appear more like each other by the day.
First, the airport in Oakland changed its name to San Francisco Bay Oakland International Airport in an attempt to boost geographic awareness, earning the ire of San Francisco International Airport for copying its name.
Now, the Oakland airport has unveiled a new animal therapy program to soothe anxious travelers that is very familiar to SFO.
As part of Canine Comfort at Oakland, therapy dogs will visit the airport on Mondays from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. starting this week. The dogs rotate through the terminals to offer flyers with a positive distraction before a flight.
“Given the incredible impact pets have on our emotional well-being and the stress associated with travel, we think OAK is the perfect place for our Canine Comfort Pet-Assisted Therapy teams to work their magic,” Valley Humane Society President Melanie Sadek said in a statement.
The program's dogs and their owners had to pass the Valley Humane Society’s certification process and training to be eligible for the program.
Across the bay at SFO, a similar program called the Wag Brigade launched in 2013. It’s grown to include a giant rabbit, and more recently, a cat has joined the group.