You’ll meet a lot of people on your holidays. The officers at airport security, the flight attendants who keep you safe in the air, the concierge who greets you at the hotel. But, for all the humans who make your trip safe and enjoyable, there’s often a furry (or feathery) colleague in action too. From lifeguard dogs to landscaping goats, these are the incredible animals working behind the scenes on your holiday.

These conscientious canines play a vital role in airport security all over the world. With the right training, an acute sense of smell means dogs can detect all manner of contraband including drugs, explosives and cash. Sniffer dogs can work for up to eight hours at a time and may be stationed at sea ports and railway stations too.

Training lasts for around two months. The dogs are taught to retrieve a tennis ball which will gradually be scented. When a dog detects something suspicious, they’ll fix their eyes and nose on the area in question until their human handler inspects. Single sniffer dogs have been known to uncover millions of pounds in cash and thousands of pounds worth of concealed Class A drugs.

As well as possessing keen noses, dogs also reduce stress in their human companions. Many airports now deliver pet therapy programmes, allowing anxious passengers to socialise with four-legged friends before taking off. Handlers and their animal squads focus on people experiencing delays or cancellations or those with a fear of flying.

One of the most established animal therapy programmes is at San Francisco International Airport. The Wag Brigade, a 300-strong team of furry friends, launched in 2013 and includes Toby, an over-sized Goldendoodle (pictured here), and Wrigley, a lovable Newdle (Newfoundland/Poodle).

Dogs aren’t the only animals that can help ease pre-flight anxiety. The Wag Brigade team welcomed a rather special recruit in 2016: Lilou the pig, the first-known therapy pig in the USA. Lilou has been a hit with passengers, especially those with allergies to the other furry team members.

Another adorable animal that can de-stress you at the San Francisco International Airport, is Alex the rabbit. The Flemish Giant rabbit is incredibly docile and patient, making it a perfect addition to the Wag Brigade.

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Canada's Calgary International Airport's programme, Pre-Board Pals, runs a team of around 50 dogs, plus one special member. For those who prefer feline friends, Taz the domestic shorthair (pictured) joined Pre-Board Pals in 2016, visiting anxious passengers. Denver International Airport in Colorado has also added a cat to their ranks: Xeli became the newest member of the Canine Airport Therapy Squad in 2017.

If you’re not a fan of dogs (or cats or pigs or rabbits), Northern Kentucky International Airport has an alternative: horses. Miniature ponies are drafted in from Seven Oaks Farm for the airport's horse therapy programme. The horses are led round the terminals to the delight of waiting passengers.

Beyond the airport lounge, birds of prey are in action to make your flight safer. In Canada, Falcon Environmental Services train predators like hawks and bald eagles to spook smaller species like gulls, geese and heron, which can impede flight paths. Their birds work at airports across North America, including Toronto Pearson International Airport in Canada and JFK in the US.

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Before being let out on the field, the raptors are trained rigorously. They’re not taught to kill – usually the sight of the birds circling overhead is enough to see off any wildlife lurking below. Ivan, a beady-eyed bald eagle (pictured), is the biggest and baddest of the bunch. He’s used to chase off larger pests like herons.

Dogs also make an appearance on the runway, chasing birds and other unruly wildlife from flight paths. A few canine colleagues have even made a career out of this adrenaline-fuelled activity.

The most famous runway dog is K-9 Piper (pictured), the border collie who chased birds from the runway at Michigan Airport. He became something of an internet celebrity, memorable for his reflective goggles and earmuffs. A few year ago, Piper sadly passed after four years on the job, but his owner and handler Brian still keeps his memory alive online.

In some airports, animals help out with the gardening. In the US, airports in Chicago and Portland enlist goats – and occasionally sheep and llamas – to keep the surrounding flora in check. The goats’ hearty appetite make them the perfect animal landscapers.

In 2015, Portland’s goats tackled pesky plants and thorns near the PDX airfield. The team were joined by a llama, who scared predators like coyote away from the goats as they worked. Chicago O’Hare airport followed suit with its own team of part-time goat gardeners, as well as sheep, to take control of the wildest parts of its 8,000 acres. Currently the goats and sheep will enter their 9th season landscaping for Chicago O'Hare airport.

Away from the airport, animals help preserve tourist spots. Since the early 2000s, the Greater London Authority in the UK employed birds of prey to help with the capital’s pigeon problem. Pigeons flock around London's top landmarks, encouraged by the promise of food from tourists and the remnants of workers’ lunches. One problem area is Trafalgar Square, the grand piazza fronting the capital's National Gallery.

Despite a ban on feeding pigeons in 2003, the birds still flock to Trafalgar Square. Birds of prey, often a Harris hawk named Lemmy, circle the area for several hours at a time in the early morning, warning off the area’s pigeon population. Harris hawks are also used to frighten pigeons from the Scottish Parliament Building in Edinburgh.

Kishi Station in Japan’s Wakayama prefecture has had a feline stationmaster since 2007 – a role that’s taken very seriously. The first was Tama: a tortoiseshell cat credited with saving the station from dramatic financial decline. People would come from far and wide to meet Tama in her hat and badge. Tama sadly passed away in 2015 and her funeral attracted more than 3,000 mourners, including station officials and admiring members of the public.

Following in Tama’s pawprints is Nitama, who fought off the competition during a lengthy selection process. But she had the experience, having previously served as Tama’s deputy and stationmaster of Idakiso Station. Station officials believe they made the right choice in Nitama, not least because she “doesn’t dislike wearing a hat”. Other newer feline additions to the station master seat include Sun-tama-tama, a calico cat, and Yontama, an eight-month-old calico cat.

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It’s estimated that around 55 elephants are poached every day for their tusks and almost 400 rhinos were killed last year in South Africa alone. Dedicated canine units have now joined the ongoing fight against poaching and are deployed in national parks across Africa. NGO Animals Saving Animals trains these four-legged rangers. The organisation currently has multiple dogs in operation across the continent in destinations such as Kenya and Tanzania and non-African locations such as India and Costa Rica. 

 

The dogs undergo intense training before being put to work guarding wildlife, tracking poachers and locating firearms. Favoured for their agility and loyalty, Belgian Malinois are often the breed of choice. The current canines team includes Drum and Rekari, who are currently protecting animals in Kenya.

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African giant pouched rats are employed in various countries to sniff out landmines that could otherwise have devastating effects on local communities and international visitors. Not-for-profit organisation APOPO is a leading trainer of landmine rats. The rats’ small light bodies mean they don’t set off the mines and they can search broad areas with super speed and accuracy.

Mozambique, Tanzania, Angola and Cambodia are some of the destinations benefiting from the rats’ work. Mozambique’s Malhazine Ecological Park is one major success story – APOPO's rodent team cleared the area of landmines and the site is now a large nature reserve and tourist centre. It's also a huge benefit to local communities whose access to farmland, vital travel routes and water supplies are impacted by the presence of mines.

In 2022, APOPO’s rodent team revealed its latest project – training rats to help first responders search for survivors in the rubble after natural disasters. The clever rats are equipped with a tiny, high-tech backpack that features a video-camera, two-way microphone and a location transmitter. Currently the rats are still in training to find survivors in simulated disaster zones. If successful, the project will be one step closer to sending rats out on location.

When enjoying an ocean swim on holiday, it’s a comfort to know that lifeguards are on standby should you find yourself in deep water. In some cases, the lifeguarding team might include a canine hero too. At the UK's RNLI, dogs take on a variety of duties, from assisting with training exercises to embarking on rescue missions.

Due to their oily fur, webbed feet and fantastic swimming ability, Newfoundland dogs make particularly great lifeguards. The heroic rescue dogs from charity Newfound Friends are making a big splash across the UK and have been commended by the Royal Life Saving Society for their work. They also help run sessions for children on water safety.

Brave water rescue dogs, which include breeds such as golden retrievers, Newfoundlands and German shepherds, have been trained to save people in dangerous depths – and that can mean having to jump off boats, jet skis and even out of helicopters. Pictured here is Oakley, one of two certified water rescue dogs in the USA, who was schooled by the American Academy of Canine Water Rescue in Massachusetts. Recently Oakley made headlines, by towing a 2,800 pound (1,270kg) pontoon boat back to safety in Pennsylvania.

At many boutique Kimpton hotels across the US, the Director of Pet Relations is responsible for greeting canine (and human) guests and testing out the hotels’ pet-friendly facilities. In Kimpton Hotel Vintage Seattle, Marvin, a lively Olde English Bulldogge pup, has taken on the role.

Theodore is another Director of Pet Relations who works at Kimpton Hotel Palomar Philadelphia. The toy Morkie is always excited to greet the hotel guests and dogs of any size. His responsibilities include quality testing the pet amenities and attend nightly wine hours. For their hard work the canine hotel workers are paid in yummy treats and great belly rubs. 

For those who are bored of the classic Thai or stone massages, some places in the world have hired snakes to give their clients an exciting and unforgettable spa experience. The thoroughly washed snakes are first draped across customers’ torses and faces. They then proceed to slither around freely and might even use their tongue, which might tickle the skin slightly.

Although there is no risk of getting bitten (they are fed beforehand and venomous snakes are not used), clients should stay calm and try to make no sudden movements as it can confuse the snake. You can’t get snake massages anywhere, they are most common in Israel, Thailand, Indonesia, Brazil and the Philippines.

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