US: Jet-setting pets get a new place to be pampered at Kennedy Airport

Airports have long been known for offering high-end services to their human passengers — for a price. Now, at Kennedy International Airport, the same can be said for animals. Dogs, cats, horses, birds, fish and even sloths will be able to have their own special accommodations at a new center called the Ark at JFK. Services will include things like “pawdicures” for dogs, fancy stalls for racehorses and quarantined lodgings for sick birds. The offerings at the Ark, which occupies nearly 80,000 square feet and is opening in stages, will range from the essential to the luxurious. Its operation will be far more extensive than that of the previous animal center at the airport, Vetport, which closed in December. Pet owners willing to part with some extra cash have the option of using the Ark’s Pet Oasis, which opened in January and assists in-transit animals left by their owners before they fly, or by pet shippers or airlines. Ark vehicles can transport animals from jets to the 4,000-square-foot Pet Oasis. Staff members groom, feed, water, walk and play with the animals. Rates, which vary by service, are available by request only.<br/>