FOUR LEGGED MEETER GREETERS DE-STRESS TRAVELERS AT LA/ONTARIO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
Four Legged Meeter Greeters De-stress Travelers at LA/Ontario International Airport
(Ontario, California – August 31, 2015 ) LA/ Ontario International Airport (ONT) passengers are now welcomed by furry four legged volunteers - dogs! ONT, in partnership with the Pet Prescription Team of Los Angeles, Orange County and San Diego County, launched a new program this summer with the hopes of providing a less stressful travel experience at the airport. ONT’s PAWS (Pets Assisting With Smiles) program has approximately 35 certified therapy dogs and their handlers roaming throughout the terminals on rotating schedules and visiting with passengers.
“We’re excited about our new volunteers creating a friendly, positive experience for our passengers,” said Jess Romo, airport manager. “They bring a big smile to people’s faces who are waiting at the ticket lobby, security screening, boarding area or baggage claim.”
The Pet Prescription Team was founded in 2003 to help pet owners train and certify their family pets for assisted therapy visits. Pet Prescription Team developed its own personal training, policies and procedures as well as classes to assist in the certification process. Pet owners complete an 8-week Pet Prescription Team training course and are evaluated through the Pet Prescription Team for certification.
“Our goal is to improve people’s lives based on the premise that pets are good for our health and well-being,” explained Krystal Emery, founder Pet Prescription Team. “At the airport, we want passengers to ‘PAWS’ awhile and have our pets ease their travel tensions away. The feedback from travelers at ONT have been overwhelmingly positive.”
ONT is located in the Inland Empire, approximately 35 miles east of downtown Los Angeles in the center of Southern California. It is a medium-hub, full-service airport with direct commercial jet service to 15 major U.S. cities and connecting service to many domestic and international destinations. There are approximately 62 daily departures offered by 8 air carriers. For more information about ONT, please visit www.flyOntario.com, like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ONTAirport , and follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/flyONTAirport .
LAX, the sixth-busiest airport in the world serving nearly 66 million guests in 2022, is owned and operated by Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA), a proprietary, revenue-generating department of the City of Los Angeles that also governs Van Nuys Airport (VNY). As the international gateway to the Southern California region, LAX and its partners are dedicated to meeting global airport standards for customer satisfaction, safety, regional economic leadership, organizational performance and sustainability.
To better serve the millions of domestic and international guests that travel through LAX each year, the airport is undergoing a multi-billion-dollar capital improvement program to modernize its entire campus. Initiatives underway include an Automated People Mover, a Consolidated Rental Car Facility and two projects that will each add over one million square feet to the airport's existing property: Terminal 9 and Concourse 0. For more information about LAX, its transformation and its environmental, social and local workforce commitments, please visit flylax.com. Follow LAX on X (formally Twitter), Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook and YouTube.
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