Nervous about that flight to Newark from Patrick Leahy Burlington International Airport?
Have no fear — Ellie Mae is here. The 8-year-old dog, a spotted German shorthaired pointer, has a part-time gig providing emotional support at BTV.
“When fliers meet Ellie Mae, it pops their anxiety bubble,” said John Wrobel, the pup’s owner.
Wrobel, 73, has trained German shorthaired pointers as therapy dogs for more than 20 years. He also used to work as the state airport inspector and knows how stressful flying can be. So, in 2023, he pitched airport officials on restarting its therapy dog program, which had shut down during the pandemic.
Wrobel and Ellie Mae can be found at BTV most days of the week, working three-hour shifts. When they’re not able to come, Buddy, a 2-year-old golden retriever and his owner, Catherine Chamberlain, jump in.
There are about 75 airport dog-therapy programs across the country. They’re often staffed by volunteers such as Wrobel, who go through training to ensure their pups remain calm no matter what.
The fur babies are in especially high demand now, as flying has become more stressful, with crammed seats, delayed flights, and close calls in the air and on the ground.
Last Thursday afternoon, Wrobel introduced Ellie Mae to a group of fliers waiting at a busy gate.
“Now watch the magic happen,” Wrobel told Seven Days.
Sure enough, a small, eager crowd gathered around the placid dog. A young girl wearing glasses giggled as she fed Ellie Mae a treat. Another man lamented a delayed flight while stroking the dog’s head. Ellie Mae remained unfazed.
Ellie Mae has a serene demeanor and a storied lineage — she’s the granddaughter of CJ, the 2016 Westminster Kennel Club’s winner of best in show. But Wrobel makes sure people like dogs before approaching them. He also avoids encounters with other canines, especially Donna, the airport’s drug-sniffing German shorthaired pointer.
“This airport is big enough for all of us,” Wrobel said.
At the end of her shift, Ellie Mae showed no signs of fatigue. Her tail was still wagging as she headed out of the airport, past the security workers. Wrobel, who said he was ready to go home, passed her a treat. She’d been a very good girl.