Thank you for your interest in the Volunteer Airport Ambassador Therapy Dog teams, also known as the Ready, Pet, Go Program at the San Diego International Airport.

Overview

For some, travelling can cause stress and anxiety, our therapy dog teams have an opportunity to provide an enhanced customer experience, by offering stress relief and comfort to passengers through interaction with the dogs. Trained dogs and handlers roam through the departures levels in the gate areas of each terminal, visiting passengers awaiting flights and providing relief, as well as airport information.

The dogs and handlers are an excellent addition to the Volunteer Airport Ambassador team. Passengers love seeing warm, wet noses and wagging tails that create a friendly, positive experience at SAN.

 

About Our Program

We are happy to answer any questions you may have, if you have a therapy dog and are interested in joining our team, please click here and reach out to us here at the San Diego International Airport.

Teams wishing to apply must have experience working as a Therapy dog team. All volunteers and dogs must be registered with a recognized organization. The preferred organizations register, insure, and support members who are involved in volunteer animal-assisted activities. Each volunteer will go through a basic informational training which includes how to assist passengers as well as shadowing an active team. They will also complete a walk through with their dog to make sure this is a good fit for both volunteer and dog. All handlers must pass a background check and be fingerprinted for an airport badge.

During shifts, the dog teams are paired with a Volunteer Airport Ambassador, who answers airport questions and provides additional eyes for ensuring the safety and security of the dog team. Scheduling and uniforms will be discussed as part of training, but we do expect our dog teams to participate in at least 2-3 two hour shifts a month.