Vane Airport Media Releases 2026 Global Airport Therapy Animal Audit on International Dog Day

TORONTO - Aug. 26, 2026 - PRLog -- VERIFIED GLOBAL PROGRAM NETWORK
171 PROGRAMS TRACKED | 150 ACTIVE PROGRAMS | 16 COUNTRIES WITH ACTIVE PROGRAMS | 24 ACTIVE LAUNCHES DURING 2025–2026

Vane Airport Media today released its 2026 Global Airport Therapy Animal Audit in recognition of International Dog Day. The audit establishes a global benchmark for airport animal-assisted therapy trends, operational scale and passenger wellness programs.

The audit tracks 171 airport therapy-animal programs. It distinguishes active programs from inactive, trial, upcoming and historically documented records. This methodology prevents discontinued or unverified programs from being reported as currently operational and provides media organizations, airports and researchers with a dependable reporting baseline.

Of those programs, 150 are active across 16 countries. The audit applies consistent counting rules based on verified operational status and documented activity.

NORTH AMERICAN EXPANSION

The audit identifies 124 active programs in North America: 102 in the United States and 22 in Canada. Compared with the harmonized 2019 baseline of 87 programs, the active network has expanded by 37 programs, representing growth of 42.5 percent.

U.S. programs increased by 45.7 percent, adding 32 programs, while Canadian programs grew by 29.4 percent, adding five.

INTERNATIONAL SCALE AND RECENT LAUNCHES

Outside North America, the audit records 26 active programs across 14 countries, including two active airport therapy-animal programs in France.

It also documents 24 active launches during 2025 and 2026: 12 in 2025 and 12 in 2026. New activations occurred in Australia, Brazil, Canada, Ecuador, France, India, Mexico, Sint Maarten, the United Kingdom and the United States.

GLOBAL OPERATIONAL REACH

"The media and aviation industry need reliable, centralized numbers to understand how rapidly airport therapy-animal programs are expanding globally," said Cristina Alcivar, Founder of Vane Airport Media. "Our 2026 Global Audit identifies 150 active programs, documents 24 active launches during the past two years and establishes a definitive reporting baseline for this sector."

The release builds on Vane Airport Media's first-of-its-kind study of 87 North American airport therapy dog programs published in 2020 and previously covered by The Moodie Davitt Report:

https://moodiedavittreport.com/vane-research-launches-first-of-its-kind-study-on-airport-therapy-dog-programmes/

Vane Airport Media publishes daily profiles of therapy animals visiting airports on social media:

https://www.instagram.com/airporttherapydogs/

REQUESTED MEDIA ATTRIBUTION

Source: Vane Airport Media 2026 Global Airport Therapy Animal Audit.

MEDIA FACT SHEET

Journalists, researchers, broadcasters and aviation organizations may request the 2026 Global Airport Therapy Animal Audit Media Fact Sheet, featuring key findings, regional comparisons, launch data and methodology. Contact cristina@vanemag.com.