When planning a trip with your pet that involves air travel, your top priority is to ensure a happy and safe flight experience for the four-legged traveler. You’ve spent quite a bit of time researching the pet-friendly hotels that are best suited for your furry companion, but you’re concerned about their comfort and safety throughout the flight process. According to the American Animal Hospital Association, an estimated 76 million cats and dogs travel with their owners each year, and airports are starting to take notice.
The following airports have made the biggest strides in pet travel by opening designated areas for animals to take a bathroom break, drink water and stretch their legs. If your route includes any of these stops, these pet areas provide a great way to comfort and reconnect with your pet once they arrive at their destination or while waiting for a connecting flight.
1. Atlanta: Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) We blogged about the grand opening of the Hartsfield-Jackson Off-Leash Dog Park last month and definitely had to put it on our list. The fully fenced-in 1,000-square-foot Poochie Park includes flowers, grass, rocks, and benches to set the stage for the dogs to sniff around, get some exercise, and relieve themselves. As the world’s busiest airport, it has seen its fair share of pets pass through and wanted to better serve its four-legged passengers.
2. Houston: George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) George Bush Intercontinental Airport not only has four designated pet areas, but also offers the only on-site kennel run by an airline (Continental Airlines) in the United States. The kennel offers 1,100 square feet of space for running and exercise pens, daytime kennel, nighttime kennel and grooming.
3. Philadelphia: Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) The PHL has 7 (count ’em, seven) pet resting areas that include a mulch pad, bench, and mock fire hydrant. Each fenced area ranges from 250 to 600 square feet and also includes a pet waste bag dispenser and trash can.
4. Phoenix: Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX) The Pet Patch, Paw Pad and Bone Yard are Sky Harbor’s three designated pet areas. These areas offer a place for pets to get relief, roam and sniff, as well as drink fresh water. Gloves are provided for cleaning.
5. St. Louis: Lambert-St. Louis International Airport (STL) Fire hydrants are just one of the features at Lambert-St. The two outdoor pet resting areas at Louis International Airport. Animals can play off-leash in the 400-square-foot enclosed spaces that also include park benches, trash cans, and plastic gloves for cleanup.
6. Reno: Reno-Tahoe International Airport (RTIA) The “dog park” at Reno-Tahoe International Airport was designed to make traveling with pets more convenient. It provides a restroom, fresh drinking water, and “Mutt Gloves” all under a canopy to protect travelers and their pets from the weather.
7. San Francisco: San Francisco International Airport (SFO) San Francisco International Airport offers two pet resting areas that are fully fenced and landscaped. They come equipped with drinking water, bowls, and garbage areas with “dog glove” dispensers. The areas are available to passengers and their pets 24 hours a day.
8. Los Angeles: Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) LAX has two areas to make everyone’s pet travel companions feel a little more comfortable. The Pet Park comes equipped with a dog house, plastic bags, and a trash can. There is another pet sitting area for added convenience, though pets must be leashed.
9. Honolulu: Honolulu International Airport (HNL) Beloved fellow travelers arrive “legged” in paradise at Honolulu International Airport’s fenced-in grassy area under palm trees. Fresh water, plastic bags, and trash cans are available for service dogs, pets in transit, and airport working animals.
10. Denver: Denver International Airport (DIA) Denver International has opened an exercise area where pets can walk and relieve themselves after a long flight. The space is closed and accessible for wheelchairs.
It’s wonderful to see airports take to the page for pet-friendly hotels and find ways to make pet-friendly travel less worrying and much more welcoming to both pets and their people. This trend is sure to continue, so check with the airports you’ll be traveling to and ask about their pet services.