Jet-setting pets have lots of new places to stretch their legs before and after flights, thanks in part to a federal regulation designed to help passengers with disabilities and their service dogs.
A mandate issued by the U.S. Department of Transportation last May requires airlines to provide relief areas for service animals like guide dogs. But many airlines and airports are seizing on the surge in pet travel and going beyond the minimum requirements, creating elaborate off-leash parks that are open to all travelers:
- At the San Francisco International Airport, animals have a choice of two fenced relief areas outside baggage claim, at Terminals 1 and 3, with drinking bowls and "mutt mitts" to pick up pet waste.
- The Lambert-St. Louis International Airport also has two gated outdoor rest areas, in the Main and East terminals, for traveling animals to play off-leash.
- Philadelphia International Airport has seven fenced Pet Port areas, each with a four-inch-deep mulch surface, biodegradable pet waste bag dispenser and receptacle, bench, faux fire hydrant and concrete paw print.
Before the federal mandate came down, a dog park was already in the works at the world's biggest airport, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International, because of customer demand. In November, the airport opened a 1,000-square-foot landscaped rest area mere steps from Delta's check-in desk, as part of a new ground transportation center.
The park has flowers, grass, benches, biodegradable bags for pet waste and, for the two-legged visitors, two original works of art -- dog sculptures made from scrap metal.
"It's all about providing a higher level of customer service," airport spokesman Albert Snedeker said. "The number of people traveling with pets has gone up, and people were looking for a place to take their pets before getting on a flight or after a flight."
An average of 15 dogs per day visit the park, with as few as five or many as 25 depending on the weather and time of year, according to ground transportation crews who monitor and keep the park clean.
Keith Altobelli, 32, of Virginia, Minn., came to Atlanta to pick up a Boykin spaniel puppy. With a couple of hours before she had to go into her kennel for their flight home, he was happy to find the dog park.
"I didn't know such a thing ever existed," Altobelli said. He sat on a bench and watched the 8-week-old dog scamper on the grass.
Besides service animals and pets, working dogs stationed at the airport also love the new amenities.
Blair, a yellow Labrador who sniffs for explosives, visits the park twice a day with her handler, Police Officer Tom O'Neill.
"It's been so needed out here," O'Neill said. He said he is often approached by travelers with pets wondering where they can take their animals for a break.
PetFriendlyTravel.com owner Tracey Thompson, who has compiled a list of nearly 50 pet-friendly airports, says the airports are wise to tap into what pet owners want, since more travelers are paying to carry their small pets with them on the plane.
"As a pet owner, I like the idea. It makes me feel like I count, like they understand my needs," she said. "Whatever makes my traveling experience easier and more pleasant, that's the place I would want to be."
A mandate issued by the U.S. Department of Transportation last May requires airlines to provide relief areas for service animals like guide dogs. But many airlines and airports are seizing on the surge in pet travel and going beyond the minimum requirements, creating elaborate off-leash parks that are open to all travelers:
- At the San Francisco International Airport, animals have a choice of two fenced relief areas outside baggage claim, at Terminals 1 and 3, with drinking bowls and "mutt mitts" to pick up pet waste.
- The Lambert-St. Louis International Airport also has two gated outdoor rest areas, in the Main and East terminals, for traveling animals to play off-leash.
- Philadelphia International Airport has seven fenced Pet Port areas, each with a four-inch-deep mulch surface, biodegradable pet waste bag dispenser and receptacle, bench, faux fire hydrant and concrete paw print.
Before the federal mandate came down, a dog park was already in the works at the world's biggest airport, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International, because of customer demand. In November, the airport opened a 1,000-square-foot landscaped rest area mere steps from Delta's check-in desk, as part of a new ground transportation center.
The park has flowers, grass, benches, biodegradable bags for pet waste and, for the two-legged visitors, two original works of art -- dog sculptures made from scrap metal.
"It's all about providing a higher level of customer service," airport spokesman Albert Snedeker said. "The number of people traveling with pets has gone up, and people were looking for a place to take their pets before getting on a flight or after a flight."
An average of 15 dogs per day visit the park, with as few as five or many as 25 depending on the weather and time of year, according to ground transportation crews who monitor and keep the park clean.
Keith Altobelli, 32, of Virginia, Minn., came to Atlanta to pick up a Boykin spaniel puppy. With a couple of hours before she had to go into her kennel for their flight home, he was happy to find the dog park.
"I didn't know such a thing ever existed," Altobelli said. He sat on a bench and watched the 8-week-old dog scamper on the grass.
Besides service animals and pets, working dogs stationed at the airport also love the new amenities.
Blair, a yellow Labrador who sniffs for explosives, visits the park twice a day with her handler, Police Officer Tom O'Neill.
"It's been so needed out here," O'Neill said. He said he is often approached by travelers with pets wondering where they can take their animals for a break.
PetFriendlyTravel.com owner Tracey Thompson, who has compiled a list of nearly 50 pet-friendly airports, says the airports are wise to tap into what pet owners want, since more travelers are paying to carry their small pets with them on the plane.
"As a pet owner, I like the idea. It makes me feel like I count, like they understand my needs," she said. "Whatever makes my traveling experience easier and more pleasant, that's the place I would want to be."
By: Daphne Sashin
Apr 1st 2010 @ 1:00PM
Courtesy of: http://www.oregonpetguide.info/
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