I am sure that as the post-holiday travel rush is slowing down, the time we spent in airports is becoming a distant memory. Just a stressful part of getting home to the ones we love. But the Portland International Airport in Oregon decided that while holiday travel can be anxiety-producing, it doesn’t have to be.
Their solution – therapy llamas. Over multiple visits during December, Beni and Prince walked around and greeted passengers, helping them stay calm while they made their way through the airport. “You can hug them close, and their thick fiber is so soft,” Lori Gregory said of her llamas.
Napoleon the alpaca and Smokey the llama don their PDX carpet outfits in 2020. Photo courtesy of Shannon Joy
They’re just very unique animals compared to most other therapy animals. They got the total package.”
@rojothellama reason # 102848308 why @FlyPDX is THE BEST airport! getting to hug THERAPY LLAMAS during one of the most stressful travel seasons is life giving 🥰🦙 we are so happy we could help lighten so many spirits!! we’ll be back Friday & Monday 10am-12pm in concourse C is you’re flying in/out of PDX ❄️🦙✈️ #happyllamadays #holidaycheer #pdxairport #flypdx #pdxllamas #therapyllama #therapyforeveryone ♬ Home Alone – Somewhere In My Memory – Theme – Geek Music
Airports across the country bring out an array of services during this time of year to help passengers feel better during travel. From decorations to carolers, airports have also been bringing in therapy dogs, as well. Portland does all of that, but in a nod to the city’s quirky identity, it added llamas to the list. But they couldn’t do it, officials said, without Gregory.
Gregory is the president and founder of Mountain Peaks therapy Llamas & Alpacas. “PDX has an ongoing partnership with various therapy animal programs,” said Allison Ferre, media relations manager with the Port of Portland, which operates the airport. “So this year, when we were bringing back holiday concessions programing, we just thought, ‘Who better to lead that parade than the llamas and alpacas?’” In a stressful situation, Ferre said, “the llamas deliver instant joy.”
The Portland International Airport provided therapy llamas to help passengers better handle the stress of holiday travel. Photo courtesy of Port of Portland
Gregory and her daughter, Shannon Joy, dressed Beni and Prince in their best holiday outfits, as well as antler headbands, halters adorned in tinkling bells and wreaths. Banners draped over the animals showed their names amidst silvery snowflakes.
They looked pretty fancy,” Gregory said.
During their visits, the llamas were the talk of the airport and greeted with celeb-like treatment. They got valet parking, photos taken by paparazzi and adoring fans. The animals were led through the airport and had their pictures taken with passengers waiting in lines throughout the airport.
One particular visit was during a plane delay due to fog in another city. In a video on social media, a woman clearly upset about the delay, hugged the 15-year-old Beni. “Oh my god, I so need a therapy llama,” she is heard saying. “I am so happy right now.”
Gregory said that the media often portrays llamas in a bad light, when in reality they are actually highly-trainable animals who, despite what is shown, rarely jump on people, bite or spit. The two 400-pound animals were the highlight for travelers making their way through the Portland airport.
On the airport’s social media, they made sure to praise the gentle giants and their help with the passengers. “It was wonderful to see how many smiles they brought to travelers and the PDX team while they were here,” the post said. “They were welcomed with open arms as we knew Portland would do.” Watch below as Beni and Prince bring holiday cheer to passengers!
Sources: USA Today | Washington Post
