Tag Archives: airport

The Ark at JFK

Posted on July 21, 2015 | 1 comment

Under construction at New York’s JFK International Airport is the world’s first all-animal airport terminal.

The facility, which will measure 178,000 square feet and cost $48 million, will be called The Ark at JFK. Its developer, ARK Development, says the facility “has been conceived as the world’s only privately owned animal terminal and USDA-approved, full-service, 24-hour, airport quarantine facility for import and export of horses, pets, birds and livestock.”

The terminal will be home to a 24-hour Paradise 4 Paws pet resort featuring a bone-shaped dog pool, pet suites with a flat-screen TV option, massage therapy and a jungle gym for cats.

What the bone-shaped swimming pool will look like at The Ark (courtesy of CNN)

For dogs and other pets on long-haul journeys, this facility promises to offer the highest standard in care. Can’t wait to see it – it should be open in 2016.

Source: CNN

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Posted in animal welfare, boarding facilities, Dogs

Tagged airport, airport terminal, boarding, CNN, dog massage therapy, JFK Airport, quarantine, USDA

Border collies patrol at airports

Posted on November 19, 2014 | Leave a comment

In today’s Christchurch Press, comes news that Christchurch Airport has employed its first Border Collie, Jet, to scare away geese and other birds from the runway areas.

14-week old Jet, Christchurch Airport’s newest employee, will undergo training to get her used to the noisy runways at the airport (Photo by The Press)

Bird strike is a major hazard for modern aviation. Bird strike was the cause of the engine failure on US Airways Flight 1549 in 2009, for example. That plane landed safely in New York’s Hudson River in what was called the “Miracle on the Hudson.” Bird strike can also cause damage to aircraft windscreens and fuselages, not just engines.

Jet’s arrival in Christchurch is a first for New Zealand but Border Collies have been patrolling airports in other countries for many years.

Birds view the dogs as natural predators and so, where they may become accustomed to other scare tactics like sirens, the birds will always be wary of being chased by a dog.

Airports that use Border Collie patrols include Southwest Florida International Airport, Vancouver International Airport, New Bedford Regional Airport (Massachusetts), Dover Air Force Base (US Air Force), Ramat David Air Force Base (Israel), Cold Lake Air Force Base (Canada), and Augusta Regional Airport (Georgia).

A Border Collie at the Southwest International Airport in Fort Myers, Fla.
By Marc Beaudin, The (Ft. Myers, Fla.) News-Press

Kathleen Crisley, specialist in dog massage, rehabilitation and nutrition/food therapy, Canine Catering Ltd, Christchurch, New Zealand

Detroit’s new dog loo

Posted on May 5, 2014 | 1 comment

The Detroit Metropolitan Airport has just invested $75,000 for a dog loo primarily to support service dogs traveling with their owners.

ervice dogs Jello, right, and Cricket sniff around the new Service Animal Relief Area at the Detroit Metropolitan Airport. (AP Photo/Detroit Free Press, Mandi Wright)

Service dogs Jello, right, and Cricket sniff around the new Service Animal Relief Area at the Detroit Metropolitan Airport. (AP Photo/Detroit Free Press, Mandi Wright)

Most dogs in airports are certified service dogs but this facility will also help passengers who are flying with their dogs on holiday or to events like dog shows. Small dogs can fly in the cabin of most US airlines providing they meet size restrictions.

For other blogs about dogs, relief areas and airports read these postings:

Kathleen Crisley, specialist in dog massage, rehabilitation and nutrition/food therapy, Canine Catering Ltd, Christchurch, New Zealand

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Posted in dog care, Dogs

Tagged airport, Detroit, Detroit Metropolitan Airport, dog loo, dog shows, pet relief areas, relief areas, service dogs

K9 Flight School

Posted on January 14, 2014 | Leave a comment

Assistance dogs and small dogs that are allowed to fly in aircraft cabins are now supported with a training program specifically for them!

The training is provided by Air Hollywood, a studio where the television show Lost was filmed. The K9 Flight School prepares people and pets to travel confidently by simulating a real aviation environment. During the training, dogs are exposed to:

airport checkin
security screening
boarding
turbulence
landing
disembarking (no pun intended)

The one-day course costs $349. Will your dog become a frequent flyer?

Travelling through LAX? Meet the PUPS!

Posted on April 22, 2013 | Leave a comment

Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) is known for its frantic pace and passenger volumes. While it can be an exciting place, it can also be stressful.

Dogs are about to make this airport a whole lot better!

PUPS, Pups Unstressing Passengers, was launched last week. This new programme involves trained dogs and their volunteer handlers who will wander throughout the gate and departure areas to visit with passengers. They’ll provide comfort as well as be knowledgeable about the airport.

Each volunteer had a 4-hour classroom session to enable them to be familiar with the airport, the layout of airlines, and operational procedures.

This YouTube video provides an overview of the programme, including the collectible trading cards that will be available portraying each dog’s photo!

Can’t wait to travel through LAX on my next trip! (And maybe, for those of us traveling from New Zealand, San Francisco’s airport will start a similar initiative.)

Pet parks at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport

Posted on July 9, 2011 | 3 comments

In May, I featured an item about the pet relief area at the Maui airport.

Did you know that in 2008, the US Department of Transportation passed a law called the Air Carrier Accessibility Act? This Act requires airports to have relief facilities available to service dogs.

Many airports have since realised the value of catering to their customers who are traveling with their dogs and opened up these facilities not only to service dogs but all dogs. One airport that is leading the way is the Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. This airport has pet parks at all three of its passenger terminals. They are:

The Bone Yard (Terminal 4)
The Paw Pad (Terminal 3)
The Pet Patch (Terminal 2)

If you are traveling through Phoenix, remember that the Airport offers these facilities and, if you’re not, here’s a great video of the Airport’s pet parks for you to enjoy: