A girl in Pittsburgh International Airport’s children’s playroom kept her distance from Potion, a 2-year-old English bulldog. Lori Korchok did not push an introduction. After watching other children interact with Potion for about 10 minutes, the girl approached and petted her the first dog she had touched since an earlier attack.
The girl’s mother cried as she explained the significance of the contact. The encounter was not a clinical treatment, and one successful meeting cannot resolve a person’s fear. It did, however, demonstrate a central requirement of responsible therapy-dog work: participation must remain voluntary. Korchok’s decision to give the child space allowed her to observe the dog and make her own approach.
Potion works through PIT PAWS, short for Pups Alleviating Worry and Stress, a volunteer initiative intended to help travelers feel more relaxed and comfortable. April Laukaitis, the program’s volunteer program specialist, said approximately 50 trained and certified therapy dogs work in the terminal during the week.
These are dog-handler teams rather than unattended animals moving among passengers. Every PIT PAWS dog is certified through the Alliance of Therapy Dogs and accompanied by a volunteer ambassador. The human half of the team can answer questions, give directions and help passengers navigate the airport.
That practical role matters in a transportation setting. Korchok and Potion seek out passengers dealing with delayed flights, when frustration or worry may be especially evident. Their regular rounds also include the USO Lounge, veterans and their families, and the children’s playroom.
Certification Evaluates Both Ends of the Leash
Therapy-dog certification is not simply a declaration that an individual dog is friendly. The Alliance of Therapy Dogs process requires veterinary health verification, a handling assessment and three to four supervised visits with residents or strangers while a volunteer tester-observer evaluates the team. The handling assessment considers the dog’s basic manners as well as the person’s handling skills.
Korchok began preparing Potion for close contact with unfamiliar people early. Before the puppy had received all her vaccines, Korchok placed her in a stroller outside stores including Target and Lowe’s, exposing her to babies, children and adults without putting her on the ground. Korchok had developed an interest in therapy work while employed by a local kennel during high school. Her first English bulldog, Goblin, also became a therapy dog before dying in 2023.
Early preparation does not mean therapy work is limited to dogs raised for it from puppyhood. Korchok said adult and rescue dogs may also pursue certification when the individual dog can be trusted and wants to visit people. Suitability depends on the dog’s health, behavior and willingness, not breed alone.
Consent Applies to the Passenger and the Dog
Official therapy-dog guidance for handlers and facilities recommends offering services only to people who affirm that they want them. No traveler should be compelled to participate, particularly when fear or allergies make contact inappropriate. For somebody wary of dogs, a handler can maintain distance and leave the decision to approach with that person.
The same framework protects the working dog. Recommended safeguards include positive, non-coercive training, constant handler supervision, access to rest away from people and time-limited interactions. The guidance recommends limiting work to one or two hours, while recognizing that an individual dog or demanding setting may require an even shorter period.
The American Veterinary Medical Association’s guidelines similarly place responsibility for a therapy animal’s health, behavior and welfare with a designated person. Dogs should receive regular veterinary care and continuous monitoring, with handlers watching for physical or behavioral changes. Quiet time, rest and opportunities to withdraw are part of the job’s operating conditions, not optional rewards after it.
Research based on interviews with 111 therapy-dog handlers reinforces that responsibility. Handlers described welfare as a combination of physical and psychological condition, time away from work, the environment and the dog’s individual preferences. They also identified leaving an interaction, avoiding contact, seeking the handler and losing attention as possible indications that a dog had reached a limit.
At an airport, good handling therefore involves managing two boundaries simultaneously. A passenger must be free to decline or delay contact, and the dog must remain healthy, engaged and able to disengage. Potion’s encounter with the girl worked because neither side was forced. A carefully managed meeting became a possible first positive step, while the choice to take that step remained with the traveler. What’s your dog’s job, official or self-appointed? Tell us in the comments.
By Tom Whitaker — Outdoor magazine editor who has reported on search-and-rescue, herding, field dogs, and working-dog handlers.
