Sacramento airport therapy dogs help to ease travel stress
By Melissa May and Coleman Petit
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SACRAMENTO, California (KOVR) — Travelling can be stressful, especially around the busy holidays. People flying in and out of Sacramento International Airport have a four-legged team of volunteers to help reduce that stress.
The Boarding Area Relaxation Corps, or BARC for short, are volunteer airport therapy dogs who have been easing the stress of traveling for the last decade. Their owners volunteer through an organization called Lend a Heart, a volunteer group that trains the dogs for this kind of therapy.
“We see a huge decrease in stress. I think it’s made a huge impact here and a great impact on us too,” Christine Hale with Lend a Heart said.
The dogs even get airport nametags. When their shift is done, they get a treat to enjoy on the tram ride home.
You can find BARC at the Sacramento airport on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays once you get through TSA security.
Hale says, “We found that’s the best place as people come through TSA, they just see us right there, and glom onto us. We also wander the terminal and gates and can find you that way.”
That was the case for some Sacramento State women’s soccer players, including seniors Lexi Schroeder and Ellie Farber.
“I love it because I am an anxious flyer, so when I saw the dogs, oh my gosh — I need to pet them, it’s just what I needed,” Schroeder said.
The dogs don’t mind the attention either.
“We dropped our bags and came back, so cute,” Farber said.
Volunteers would love to see more dogs and shifts here, but they say they could use more recruits to meet demand. Lend a Heart hopes there are some dogs and owners out there willing to be a part of the endeavor.
People interested in letting their canine volunteer with BARC can contact the Lend a Heart team through their website.
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