‘Please ask to pet me': Actor Christian Slater is seen arriving at Miami airport with a therapy dog

PUBLISHED: 13:02 EST, 6 March 2014 | UPDATED: 13:41 EST, 6 March 2014

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He’s a known dog lover.

So it was no surprise to see Christian Slater making his way through Miami International Airport with a dog by his side.

However, the actor’s choice of pet did raise questions due to the vest the pooch was wearing which said, ‘Please ask to pet me therapy dog.’

Coming through: Actor Christian Slater making his way through Miami International Airport with a therapy dog by his side

The jacket is usually worn by dogs that have received training to provide affection and comfort to people in hospitals, retirement homes, schools and disaster areas.

It is yet not known whether Christian has the dog around for his own therapy treatment or if he is simply the owner of the therapy pet.

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The Nymphomaniac star is often seen walking his dog – comically named Fish – around Miami Beach, Florida.

So perhaps he has decided to bring joy to others by training his pet to become a therapy dog.

Checks: the actor¿s choice of pet did raise questions due to the vest the pooch was wearing which said, 'Please ask to pet me therapy dog'

Stay still: It is yet not known whether Christian has the dog around for his own therapy treatment or if he is the owner of the therapy pet

Mail Online has contacted Christian’s representative for comment.

Christian and the pet were joined by his new bride Brittany Lopez, 26, whom he eloped with in December 2013.

While Christian was happy to smile at the waiting paparazzi, Brittany instead tried to hide her face with her brunette locks.

Camera shy: Christian and the pet were joined by his new bride Brittany Lopez, who tried to hide her face with her hair

A spokesperson for the Mind Games star confirmed that the couple spontaneously decided to get married after they initially went to the Coral Gables District Court near Miami to get their marriage licence.

The pair announced they were engaged in February, two months after they celebrated at a huge party for family and friends last December.

Christian had previously said the pair were set to tie the knot in a small ceremony in their back garden and had even hired a wedding planner.

WHAT IS A THERAPY DOG?

A therapy dog is a dog trained to provide affection and comfort to people in hospitals, retirement homes, nursing homes, schools, hospices, disaster areas, and to people with learning difficulties.

There are three types of therapy pets:

The most common are 'Therapeutic Visitation' dogs, which are household pets whose owners take time to visit patients.
The second type is called an 'Animal Assisted Therapy' dog. These dogs assist physical and occupational therapists in meeting goals important to a person's recovery.
The last type of therapy dog is a 'Facility Therapy Dog'. These dogs primarily work in nursing homes and are often trained to help patients suffering from mental illness.

They are not the same as service animals. Service animals are individually trained to perform tasks for people with disabilities such as guiding people who are blind, alerting people who are deaf, pulling wheelchairs, alerting and protecting a person who is having a seizure, or performing other special tasks.