New York's JFK Airport Is Building a Luxury Terminal for Your Pets

Animal lovers take note: New York’s JFK Airport is getting a new state-of-the-art animal terminal named the ARK. But unlike Noah’s lame prototype which could only take two of every animal, JFK’s ARK can handle more than 70,000 animals per year – and handle them in style. Fully decked out with a lap pool, veterinary services, salon and spa services and flat screen TVs, your pet’s accommodation will likely be far superior to your own.

Current import and export services available to pets aren’t particularly streamlined – and the resulting stress can increase the chance of injury or illness for our high-flying furry friends. The ARK has been designed to reduce animal stress during their mandatory quarantine period (that it makes us awwwww is simply an added bonus.) The US$40 million, 16,500 square metre facility includes stalls for cattle and horses, pens for goats, sheep and pigs, an aviary for birds and even a special space for penguins – complete with private mating area.

Its the dogs and cats that get the best of the deal though. They’ll be housed in a hotel-like facility run by Paradise 4 Paws, a national pet boarding service that provides insane levels of pet care including hot oil or mud baths, pawdicure (with colour pawlish), peanut butter kongs, treadmill sessions, outdoor hikes, massages and personal snuggle times. For a cool US$100 a night, your pet can stay in a room with a full-sized human bed, chandelier lighting and doggie furnishings, flat screen and a nightly tuck-in service. And while your pet is crapping all over the $100-a-night suite, you can watch them resentfully over webcam.

But in all seriousness, good work America. Air travel is traumatic enough for humans; imagine the stress a pet must go through. It’s fantastic to see an investment that will benefit our animal pals. Australia, please follow their example – and if possible, provide a viewing platform so we can watch the animals frolic and gambol.

via The Guardian.

Image via Paradise 4 Paws.