Philadelphia airport celebrates its brigade of stress-busting therapy dogs

PHILADELPHIA — A pack of four-legged therapists also got a well-deserved break Monday when they were honored at the airport, where they dutifully work to reduce stress and calm travelers.

The event at Philadelphia International Airport marked five years since the 23 members of the Wagging Tails Brigade began greeting people and serving as therapy dogs.

Some of them received a birthday present and a custom cake, while passers-by were invited to eat cupcakes and sign a huge birthday card.

Brigade members and their volunteer human handlers spend at least two hours a week at the airport, impressing people with their tricks and doing whatever they can to boost the spirits of weary passengers. Dogs wear vests and ask people to “pet me.”

Alan Gurvitz, a volunteer with Hope, a Labrador retriever, said their goal is to make traveling a little more enjoyable.

“I like to call the airport the land of cancellations and delays, so people are often very stressed here,” Gurvitz said.

Jamie and Victoria Hill were on their honeymoon in the Dominican Republic and were seen petting Bella as they tried to stay positive after their flight was delayed.

“It reminded us of our dog back home,” Jamie Hill said. “We miss him.”

Nancy Mittleman recalled being at the airport in June with her German shepherd, Tarik, as bad weather disrupted air traffic. The two spent several hours entertaining stranded children and their parents.

“Pretty soon I had a whole crowd around me,” Mittleman said. “There were probably 10 kids sitting around him and they were talking to each other. And the great thing was that before that there were a lot of stressed out parents and a lot of unhappy kids.”

Volunteers try to ensure that at least one brigade member is present at the airport to welcome travelers, especially on days with significant delays or disruptions.

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This story has been updated to correct the spelling of a volunteer’s first name: Alan Gurvitz, not Allan.