Burlington airport welcomes therapy dog to ease travel anxiety

BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) - There’s a four-legged friend at the Burlington airport who hopes to ease your travel headaches. From an early wakeup to getting through security, travel can take it out of you, but a friendly face by the gates makes things a little bit better.

“Buddy” is the kind of guy who turns heads and attracts a crowd.

Cathy Chamberlin and her 2-year-old golden retriever have become Burlington International Airport icons.

Reporter Sopha Thomas: You must just be constantly bombarded by people wanting to say hi.

Cathy Chamberlin: And I love it. And I think he does, too.

The trained therapy dog started greeting flyers a year and a half ago. Chamberlin says she thought her sweet pup could help travelers decompress.

“There are times when flights have been delayed, and people are stressed. He’ll lie down next to them, and they’ll just pet him so it makes them feel so much better,” said Chamberlin.

Several times a week, during especially busy hours, Chamberlin and Buddy snag two seats near the gates and let the magic happen.

He was so popular in the hectic days leading up to Christmas, it was hard to get a word in with Chamberlin. Some Buddy fans told us the pup was a welcome surprise.

“His whole purpose is to make people feel more comfortable today,” said Alida Tow of Monkton.

Buddy’s got airport staff wrapped around his paw, too.

“If you’ve been around this dog for any time, he makes everybody’s day a lot better,” airport worker Vincent Chiorgno said.

“It’s great. They should do more of these,” said Josh Cross of Republic Airways.

Chamberlin says some travelers just get a few pets in, while others wind up chatting with her in a moment of need.

“I’ve met disabled veterans who are traveling who have sat here with Buddy who say they had a therapy dog, too, and they really appreciate it, and then we start talking about the war,” said Chamberlin.

That connection means just as much to Chamberlin and Buddy as it does to travelers.

Chamberlin says there’s one other therapy dog at the airport, a pup named Ellie Mae.

They look forward to helping travelers near and far feel a little less stressed during the holidays and beyond.