Navigating a busy airport is often one of the most stressful parts of the holiday season for any traveler. But this year, airports across the country are going to the dogs — therapy dogs, that is, who hope to ease travelers’ stress by offering a brief bout of canine companionship in the terminal gates.

Airports in Illinois, Tennessee, Texas, and more allowed charity organizations such as Canine Therapy Corps and Therapet to bring in their trained therapy dogs to comfort airline travelers over the long Thanksgiving weekend. Normally, such dogs are used to bring relief to people in hospitals, prisons, or schools, but the benefits for frazzled holiday travelers were obvious.

“Just helps calm everybody down, if the flight’s a little delayed, and just take a step back and remember what it is about. Just being thankful for being around family and friends,” said Karen Getzendanner, a volunteer with Therapet in Tyler, Texas.

While more than 46.3 million American households have dogs, therapy dogs are specially trained to provide comfort and relief. Some, like eight-year-old Boone, a Labrador retriever with Therapet, have been through their share of trauma themselves. Boone was rescued by his owner, Karen Reed, as a puppy after he was hit by a car and broke both of his front legs.

“He went through five surgeries to save his legs, including a hip surgery and was always so gentle and kind even as a puppy,” said Reed. “I knew Boone had a wonderful temperament early on and wanted him to be a therapet for people.”

Travelers at Tyler Pounds Regional Airport and Chicago’s O’Hare and Midway International Airports seemed thankful for the dogs, too. Commercial airlines service an average three million people every day, and those numbers tend to spike around the holidays: a record 27 million people traveled by air this year around Thanksgiving, with more travel expected around Christmas and New Years, too.

“Just the entertainment of a dog distracting your attention for a least a little while helps to improve your experience at the airport,” said Canine Therapy Corps volunteer Ann Davidson of Chicago. Canine Therapy Corps and Therapets both said they intend to return to the airports for busy travel days in December.

“It’s sure cute, isn’t it?” said Edward Musslewhite, a Texas traveler who stopped to pet Boone in the Tyler airport. “That’s a great dog. I feel better already.”