Washington - United States

The traveler may be accustomed to being greeted at the airport by an employee carrying an identification card or helping him reach his gate, but at Denver International Airport, this time the welcome may come on four legs... and with a tail wagging happily.

The airport has a team with a name that raises confusion from the first moment: CATS. Naturally, you would expect to find a group of cats, but the abbreviation goes back to Canine Airport Therapy Squad. Ironically, the team dominated by dogs also includes a cat, so that the name is not completely misleading.

Hug before take off

The idea is not just a nice show inside the travel halls. Trained animals roam with their companions to help travelers relax and relieve stress associated with crowding, waiting, and the dread of flying. Denver Airport itself encourages passengers to stop to pet the animals, hug them, and take pictures with them.

Today, Sunday, September 13, Bristol, Messi and Bode participate in receiving passengers in different areas of the airport, according to the officially published schedule. Visits extend between six in the morning and three-thirty in the afternoon, with the possibility of adjusting the timings.
Official mission... chasing travel stress

The story is not new; Denver Airport launched the program in October 2015 with 28 members from 14 breeds, and it has grown exponentially. In 2023, it included 100 members from 36 breeds, in addition to a cat, and held a title in the Guinness Book of Records as the largest program for therapy animals in airports.

And so, amidst the screens and bags and flight calls, the sweetest moment of a traveler's journey through Denver may be the one that requires neither a boarding pass nor a passport; Just a hand extended to shake... and in front of it there is a happy claw and tail.