The Vancouver International Airport is adding a pair of ponies to its Less Airport Stress Initiative, which already includes therapy dogs. Vancouver International Airport handout photo
The Vancouver International Airport has introduced miniature ponies as part of its Less Airport Stress Initiative.
The airport introduced the program in 2017 to “reduce travel anxiety” and “enhance well-being” among passengers at the airport. It has also featured therapy dogs, according to the Vancouver International Airport (YVR) website.
YVR said it was the first airport in North America to offer such a passenger care program.
Eric Pateman, chief experience officer with the Vancouver Airport Authority, said they had experienced success with dogs from St. John’s Ambulance.
“We recognize the powerful impact therapy animals can have on people’s well-being, so ponies are a natural evolution of the program,” Pateman told The Epoch Times in an email.
“Having ponies at the airport is not any different from having therapy dogs at the airport from an operational standpoint,” he said.
Therapy animals provide passengers with emotional support and comfort for those experiencing travel anxiety, according to YVR.
Local equine therapy organization Green Acres is providing the ponies on a trial basis.
The ponies, Magic, 3, and Tinkerbell, 17, made their first appearance at the airport on July 22. They will be making more scheduled stops throughout the summer, according to YVR.
The ponies are trained through exposure to high traffic locations, according to Green Acres owners and twin sisters, Jacqueline and Pamela Green. They have experience with therapy dogs as well, they said.
“We just believe so strongly in what dogs do and what horses have to offer,” Pamela Green told The Epoch Times in a phone interview.
Pateman said the animals got a lot of attention during their visit to the airport.
“Dozens of YVR employees also took time out of their day to see them. Even members of the RCMP stopped to say hi,” he said in the email.
Jacqueline Green said some passengers became emotional at the sight of the animals.
“We had three different passengers that burst into tears and hugged us,“ she said during the interview. ”These horses can carry emotional weight.”
The pony element of the program is still a pilot program, Pateman said, adding they were looking at a few more “test runs” to be sure the animals were comfortable with the airport environment.
Therapy dogs spend about 1,500 hours per year with passengers as part of the program, YVR said. The animals also promote the airport at travel and trade shows.
Chandra Philip is a news reporter with the Canadian edition of The Epoch Times.