🐾 Paw Pilots bring comfort to stressed travelers at Orlando airport

ORLANDO, Fla. – Whether it’s just the hustle and bustle of a busy airport, a delay or cancellation of a flight, traveling can be downright stressful.

That’s where Woody, the 6-year-old Basset Hound, comes waddling in.

You can kiss, cuddle and pet her. Whatever the reason.

“Some people come up and say, ‘Oh, I missed my flight, let me see your dog...’ or ‘I miss my dog, can I pet yours,’” Paw Pilots volunteer Mindy Machock said.

Woody is a Paw Pilot at Orlando International Airport. The program that took flight in 2019, invites a group of therapy dogs to the terminal to help provide comfort for passengers like Samantha Demelim and Marina Marroquin returning from a cruise.

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“Dogs are huge for emotional support and I think that the fact they’re in the airport is great in that it can be a heightened time of anxiety for traveling passengers and you should definitely take a few minutes out of your day to stop and pet Woody,” Demelim said.

“Traveling through the airport can be stressful, then you see this dog and you’re like ‘everything’s going to be fine,’” Marroquin said.

Customer relations assistant manager Jodi Zadow helped land the program at MCO.

“I love dogs so it was a no brainer,” Zadow said. “I’ve seen people cry when they see the dogs, I’ve seen people completely overjoyed and say they just really needed this.”

Right now, there are more than a dozen Paw Pilots who rotate visiting travelers at the airport. Each canine is a certified therapy dog with at least two years experience.

“When they come here they’ve already had experience, so they’ve been in hospitals and nursing homes. When they come here, they just already have that personality and can handle this kind of thing,” Zadow said.

The program is volunteer-based. Woody’s mom, Machock offering the Paw Pilot services with Woody several times a month at Terminal A across from the food court.

“We’re here for two hours and it’s a lot of fun for the dogs because a lot of people who do therapy work go to a lot of places, and this is such a fun energetic place to be. Just meeting people from all over the world and just making new friends,” said Machock.

Machock said it’s a win-win not only for the travelers, but for her and Woody to just take a moment to slow down and relax.

“Making people smile makes you feel better and so it’s a great way to give back and you walk away feeling great as well,” Machock said.

Be sure to follow MCO on Facebook and Twitter to find out which dog is at the airport and when.