While many people love traveling, almost everyone would agree that the mandatory airport procedures that travelers must go through are downright tedious. So, what can be done to improve this experience?
Well, Portland International Airport (PDX) came up with a pretty great solution for this issue and decided to expand their support animal rotation by adding a couple of therapy llamas! Unsurprisingly, everyone loved it so much that this whole story soon went viral, and now, people want to visit PDX just to get a chance to meet these newfound internet celebrities. Scroll down to read the full story!
No one really expects to meet a llama when walking through the airport, but when they do, mood improvement is nearly guaranteed
Image credits: Rojo the Llama
Portland International Airport decided to surprise its visitors by bringing in a couple of therapy llamas for people to hug, pet, and feed
It was around the last holiday season when the staff of the Portland International Airport decided to add a twist to their regular support animal rotation, consisting mainly of dogs, by inviting a couple of llama newcomers.
Meet Prince and Beni -- the two residents of Mtn Peaks Therapy Llamas & Alpacas farm, who are more than happy to pose for some pictures or be petted, hugged, fed, and loved.
Residing outside the city, the llamas visit the airport approximately twice a month, and they never go unnoticed. “It’s just pure joy,” said the PDX media relations manager, Allison Ferre, in her interview with PEOPLE, adding that “travelers’ faces say it best.”
Image credits: Rojo the Llama
Not everyone gets to meet them, as the animals can only stay at the airport for a specific period, so it doesn't pose a danger to their health, but they're sure to return for more
But despite their massive popularity and some people literally planning their flights in a way to get to visit Portland airport, these cute animals can’t stay there for too long at a time. “[The animals are] only here for periods of time that are healthy for them.”
Fortunately, the information about when you’ll be able to meet Prince, Beni, and perhaps other llamas from their herd is widely available online. “We usually promote it on our social channels in advance of when they’re coming,” explained Allison. “We get disappointment when people miss them.”
People online loved learning about this almost as much as travelers at the Portland International Airport loved actually meeting the llamas. The comments section was full of warm messages saying how wonderful it was to have such cute animals to greet you at the airport, while others were quick to make jokes about other, less huggable animals that you can encounter in other airports.
Image credits: rojothellama
Image credits: rojothellama
Therapy animals are no novelty. We have all encountered or at least heard of therapy dogs and cats who can be a great assistance to those in need. But if there are also llamas and alpacas who can do this job just as well, why don’t we meet different animals doing these jobs as often?
As animal behaviorist Julie Bond explained to Bored Panda when we reached out to her for an interview, it’s all about logistics and practicality. “Dogs and cats are just more available! There are far more dog and cat owners than llama owners,” she said, adding that most people who keep farm animals don’t really breed them for therapy work.
In addition, livestock can hardly be ‘house trained,’ which complicates the visits to indoor places where these animals are most commonly used for therapy. That is especially true when looking through the perspective of cleanliness since the chance of a cat or a dog leaving a stinky mess is much less likely than that of a farm animal.
Image credits: rojothellama
Image credits: rojothellama
The expert, Julie Bond, explained that while therapy animals are most often dogs or cats, every animal species brings something unique and is just as good at it as the rest
However, if we’re talking about animals’ abilities to help people, none are really any worse than others. “Beyond dogs and cats, I’ve seen and worked with rabbits, guinea pigs, potbellied pigs, pygmy goats, miniature horses, mini highland cows, snakes, turtles, iguanas, and, yes, even a llama in the realm of pet-assisted therapy,” continued Julie.
The expert explained that each type of therapy animal brings something unique to the table, making them just as valuable from a therapeutic perspective as any other animal. And then, of course, we have allergies, fears, and other reasons why a person would not be able to participate and benefit from pet therapy were it not for other animals performing these crucial tasks.
Image credits: rojothellama
Image credits: rojothellama
When it comes to picking the right animal for the therapeutic role, Julie said that no matter what species they come from, the best pet-assisted therapy animals are usually the ones that are born to do it.
“The best pet therapists are naturally inquisitive, enjoying new people and new experiences; travel well, making them easy to get to their visits; well-behaved and well-socialized; confident, not anxious; and responsive to guidance/training from their handlers,” said the animal behaviorist, adding that as long as the animal has the right disposition, they can be taught the skills required for therapy.
But while therapy animals play a very significant role, they’re not service animals and shouldn’t be confused with them. “Pet therapy animals don’t tune out the distractions. They must learn to work around them and respond not just to their handler but to the population of folks they are there to provide pet therapy benefits to,” clarified Julie, explaining that, on the other hand, service animals are there to provide those benefits to their handlers and no one else.
Image credits: rojothellama
In the end, whether for therapeutic purposes or not, meeting llamas in an airport must be an experience worth having, especially when they’re as nice as Prince and Beni. But with this story becoming so viral, hopefully, more places will decide to try out something similar. After all, the Portland International Airport won’t fit all of us.
What did you think about this story? Have you ever had any similar encounters? Share them all in the comments below!
The commenters loved learning about these occurrences, and while some made jokes, others were already planning their trip to PDX
