It’s a dog’s life at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), which is building a state-of-the-art $65 million terminal for traveling pets. Nicknamed “The Ark,” the 178,000-square-foot animal-handling and air-cargo facility will accommodate the 70,000 animals that pass through JFK each year.
The building, expected to open in early 2016, will include a jungle gym for cats, a bone-shaped swimming pool for dogs, pet massage therapy, obedience training and a spa offering grooming services. Kennels costing about $100 per night will feature flat-screen TVs and webcams so owners can check in on their pets. Horses will be able to relax in climate controlled stalls with bedding and natural light; cattle will have a specially designed pen. The building will feature a professionally staffed veterinary hospital.
At The Ark, customers can board, kennel, quarantine, import, export and transport large and small animals such as dogs, cats, horses, cows, goats, pigs and sheep. The Ark will also house an aviary for quarantine of imported birds. When it’s time to board their planes, animals will be transported from The Ark in dedicated, climate-controlled vehicles.
