When Beni the llama and Captain Jack the alpaca saunter with their handlers through the front doors of the Portland International Airport on a recent morning, time seems to stop. People who were moments earlier hustling to their gates stand still. Those who were occupied with their phones look up and stare.
Some take videos. A crowd quickly forms. Within minutes, a dozen people are lined up for the chance to have their picture taken with one of these animals.
At least one traveler is moved to tears. “You can tell by my response how joyful I feel to see these animals out here,” says Lori Sackett, who is on her way from Portland to San Antonio with her husband to see their adult daughter. “What a gift.
” Sackett is especially nostalgic about llamas since she worked with them in the 4-H youth group when her daughter was young – the same daughter she’s on her way to visit. “She's gonna just go wild when she sees the pictures,” says Sackett. “I mean, it's a magical thing.
” Magic is a word invoked by more than one of the dozens of travelers who pause their journeys for a few minutes to get to know these animals. Part of the Portland airport’s animal therapy program, the animals visit every few weeks from the farm where they live – called Mountain Peaks Therapy. When they’re not at the airport, they have a busy schedule that includes corporate events and weddings.
Their airport appearances are part of an effort on the part of the airport to acknowledge that .