ASHWAUBENON, Wis. — It didn’t take long for travelers arriving at Green Bay Austin Straubel International Airport to find Baillie.

What You Need To Know

  • PawsAero started providing therapy dogs at Austin Straubel International Airport just before Thanksgiving
  • The dogs are there to help calm, and cheer, travelers
  • When possible, the airport will share upcoming appearances on its social media pages.

Shortly after getting of their flight, a small group of people gathered around the certified therapy dog and her pet parent, Glory Reed.

“She’s here for you guys. Come say hi to her. Her name is Baillie. She’s a four-year-old Newfoundland,” Reed said to flyers who initially seemed unsure what to make of the dog in the airport.

Reed and Baillie are part of a new program, PawsAero, that has four dogs who help travelers as they pass through the airport.

“For me, it’s to bring smiles to everybody,” said Reed who is from Black Creek. “Especially now during the pandemic, people need to have the smiles dogs bring into their lives and the happiness.”

After months of planning, the airport launched the program just before Thanksgiving.

“It’s fun to see their reactions to her and to know that, maybe in some small way, we can make a difference and make their day better,” Reed said.

The airport’s assistant director, Rachel Engeler, said it's been shown these kinds of programs can reduce stress and anxiety.

“We want to make sure our passengers are comfortable traveling through here," she said. "Having a pet therapy program offers that amenity to them so they’re excited to get here and see the dogs that are visiting that day."

Engeler also likes seeing the dogs around the terminal.

“They’re definitely a stress reliever,” she said. “They’re so fun to see and seeing everybody react in a positive way is excellent.”

Reed said she and Baillie see one reaction over and over.

“Just the smiles,” she said. “Everybody just seems to want to pet her. They just want to say hi to her.”