More than a dozen dogs could be seen sniffing around Tampa International (TPA) on Sept. 29.
Southeastern Guide Dogs brought guide dogs in training and their handlers into the airport to give them experience in travel situations. The dogs roamed through the Main Terminal, rode the airport’s elevators and shuttles, passed through security, walked a jet bridge and boarded a plane.
“Partnering with Southeastern Guide Dogs benefits both of our organizations,” says Kari Goetz, TPA’s director of marketing. “We are able to educate the next class of guide dogs with the traveling tools they need to succeed, and the airport gets a ‘dog’s eye view’ of our facility and finds ways to improve on providing a world-class traveling experience for all of our guests.”
Leslie Shepard, director of Puppy Raising Services with Southeastern, says the experience is vital for the group’s guide dogs.
“We really want to get them used to things they will face as guide dogs with their handlers,” she says. “Flying out of an airport is a very important experience, and something they will likely do frequently. In addition, the airport provides a good opportunity to expose them to a wide-variety of environments, sights, sounds and new people.”
