In Istanbul, Turkey, two new additions to the staff at Istanbul Airport are Kuki, aged six, and Alita, aged one and a half. They are on a mission to provide comfort to anxious travelers at one of the world's busiest airports.
The two dogs greet passengers at the international departures area just before passport control, where travelers in a rush, feeling anxious, or saying goodbye to loved ones can be found.
Ali Bahtiyari, who was traveling outside his native Iran for the first time, was fascinated when he met Kuki, a playful Lagotto Romagnolo with thick curly fur, and Alita, a black and white Border Collie.
A 31-year-old traveler who had been in Istanbul for a few days said, "I walked a lot and was physically exhausted. But seeing these dogs here produced too much endorphin. I'm not tired at all."
"It's really nice to pet these dogs. I'm so happy that they are here," said a passenger at Istanbul Airport.
These two dogs are part of a team of five, along with their handlers, who have been interacting with passengers at the airport for the past two months.
Volkan Arslan, a vet coordinating the project, shared, "We introduced the therapy dog project to improve the flight experience for our guests and to reduce any flight stress."
-Weekly schedules-
Five dogs, including Kuki and Alita, underwent rigorous training and are now patrolling domestic and international terminals. Two more dogs will join them once they complete their training.
The airport usually only uses sniffer dogs when summoned by customs agents. The therapy dogs work in five-day rotations, for a maximum of three hours a day.
The dogs' schedules are based on their breed.
"A Border Collie, Alita, is very energetic and enjoys spending time with our guests, so we keep her schedule a little longer," Arslan explained.
"Kuki, on the other hand, prefers to rest and is not as willing to put in too much effort, so we keep his schedule shorter."
Kuki's trainer, Ismail Seyhan, mentioned that schedules also change based on the dogs' health and psychology.
"The dog who works today rests the next day," he said.
Fatima Bouzerda, while rushing to passport control, changed her direction upon making eye contact with Kuki, finding it hard to hide her surprise.
"It's the first time I see something like that. I heard about cat cafes, but I've never seen this in airports," she said while playing with Kuki.
Bouzerda, who lives in Paris, noted that travel in large airports like Istanbul could sometimes be stressful.
"So when we see something like this, it's so cute and it makes us less stressed," she expressed.
-‘Encourages us’-
Abdulkadir Demirtas, who is in charge of customer experience at Istanbul Airport, mentioned that all the comments from the visitors were positive.
“What makes me happiest is that kids and families who were unsure about approaching the dog at first can now interact with them in just a few seconds,” he noted.
“This is the moment that truly brings us joy and is exactly what we want to witness.”
Alita’s trainer Volkan Gul shared a story from one of the incidents at the airport.
“One time we saw a passenger crying and then locking eyes with the dog, and I told her she could stroke her. She was still in tears but after a while, she touched her and as she left, she had a smile,” he mentioned.
Numerous airports in the United States have therapy dog programs — a concept that originated after the 9/11 attacks with the aim of providing comfort and relief for passengers dealing with air travel anxieties.
In addition to airports, therapy or service dogs are also trained to interact with people in hospitals, libraries, and schools.
Arslan mentioned that the new colleagues were already making a difference at the bustling airport.
“That really encourages us. We have guests who not only experience stress from flying but also have a fear of dogs. They take the first step in overcoming these fears with us,” he mentioned.
Agence France Presse
