MELBOURNE, Fla. (AP) — Airplane travelers facing long security lines and overcrowded planes this summer can find comfort with a lick or a wagging tail at one Florida airport.
A black Labrador retriever is starting work as an airport ambassador on Thursday at Orlando Melbourne International Airport.
The 10-year-old dog named Kuma will roam gates at the airport, offering comfort and brief companionship for travelers passing through the airport located on Florida’s Space Coast.
Kuma’s owners conveniently run a flight training school and a pilot-supply store at the airport.
Kuma received comfort-dog training, but the training was done at the airport to acclimate her to the sounds of airplane engines, large crowds and security lines.