Columbia Metropolitan Airport Welcomes New Members to Therapy Dog Team
November 4, 2014
COLUMBIA, SC – Columbia Metropolitan Airport welcomes Chip Peavy and Meg as the newest members of the airport’s Therapy Dog Team. Meg is a Schnoodle, which is a cross between a schnauzer and a poodle. Her owner, Chip, is also USO volunteer at the airport and looks forward to expanding his relationship with the airport by participating in the Therapy Dog Program.
Columbia Metropolitan Airport launched the Therapy Dog Program in November 2013 and it has quickly become a popular part of the customer experience at CAE. Meg and Chip join Loki, a 2-year old Aussiedoodle (Australian Shepherd/Poodle mix), and Ziva, a 4-year old German Shepherd along with their handlers who have been with the program since its inception.
In order to participate in the program, all dogs and their handlers undergo specialized training through the non-profit organization, Therapy Dogs Inc. before becoming a part of the airport team. The dogs wear colored vests that read “Pet Me” to encourage travelers to interact with them.
In addition to being a delight for passengers, the program has been instrumental in calming the nerves of new recruits that arrive for basic training at Fort Jackson.
Columbia Metropolitan Airport is among a small group of airports nationwide that are using therapy dogs to help make the travel experience memorable and stress-free with the understanding that folks travel for a variety of different reasons and sometimes under stressful situations.
As the airport continues to focus on a customer-centered experience, our passengers can expect CAE to roll out even more programs and events to ensure that our guests fly with ease.
Image: Meg and her owner Chip.
Columbia Metropolitan Airport (CAE) is the premier air travel provider for South Carolina’s Midlands region. The airport offers nearly 30 daily non-stop flights to 9destinations nationwide. CAE is a self-sufficient entity and does not receive any state or local tax dollars. Visit our website at www.columbiaairport.com or on Facebook at Facebook.com/flycae.
