(WSVN) - Holiday travel time is here, and those of us on two legs aren’t the only ones racking up frequent flyer miles … our pets are taking off too! No matter how prepared you are, finding a place for your pet to go to the bathroom can be stressful until now! 7’s Craig Stevens shows us how local airports are making it easier to “Paws for Relief” in our special report.
Many of us will soon get on an airplane to be with loved ones for the holidays … and our four legged friends will be tagging along!
Cristina Saint-Blancard, flying with her pet: “I think she has more miles than I do on some of the airlines.”
Elena, flying with her pet: “He’s a family member, so he always travels with us.”
Flying with a pet has gotten a lot easier. Finding a place for them to “go” is not as easy.
Elena: “I have three kids with me and I just cannot leave everything and go if my dog needs to go.”
Linda Merrill, Broward County Aviation Department: “TSA long, extended times and then they go down the concourse, and the pet needs to be relieved.”
Most airports have pet areas outside of security. But once you’re past TSA, going out again is a hassle.
Especially for Cristina who travels with her service dog, Tatiana.
Cristina Saint-Blanchard: “I have to time myself so that my dog does their business right before going through security. I would always leave a four or five hour layover.”
The Department of Transportation heard the cries for help and now requires all airports serving more than 10,000 daily passengers to have a post-security pet relief area.
Miami International and Fort Lauderdale airports are answering the call for change: cleaning up outdoor pet areas, making them wheelchair accessible and giving pets plenty of space to run free!
They’re also adding indoor areas complete with dog inspired artwork and astro-turf with a sprinkler system. There’s even a sink to clean yourself up…
Jack Varela, Miami International Airport: “They just come in here without having to leave the checkpoint and enter it again and having to go through that whole hassle.”
Cristina and Elena say the new areas are relieving more than just their pets. They’re relieving a lot of stress too!
Cristina Saint-Blanchard: “It’s a relief for travelers. It’s one thing less to stress about, when you’re already stressed traveling with a service animal.”
To find out where pet relief areas are located at both Miami International and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood airports go to:
MIA PET AREAS:
http://www.miami-airport.com/releases/2016-08-29-MIA_INDOOR_RELIEF_AREAS_FOR_ANIMALS.asp
FLL AIRPORT:
http://www.broward.org/Airport/Pages/Default.aspx
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