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All-Animal Terminal At JFK Airport Means Animals Can Travel In Style

It’s a jungle in there.
At The Ark, horses can get groomed and enjoy a meal of hay before their next flight.
The Ark
At The Ark, horses can get groomed and enjoy a meal of hay before their next flight.
The Ark is located in a cargo building at JFK Airport.
The Ark
The Ark is located in a cargo building at JFK Airport.

Flying with a puppy isn’t easy. Flying with a planeload of horses is even harder. That’s why JFK Airport has officially opened The Ark, a $65 million, 178,000-square-foot airport terminal for animals of all sizes.

Just like humans, animals need to go through customs, have a drink of water and rest up during long layovers. And it’s not only domestic dogs and cats: horses, livestock and birds going through exportation or passing through the U.S. for commercial purposes need TLC, too.

The Ark has a luxurious Pet Oasis and spacious resting stalls for horses and livestock. Honestly, these state-of-the-art airport facilities make us humans just a little jealous.

At The Ark, horses can get groomed and enjoy a meal of hay before their next flight.
The Ark
At The Ark, horses can get groomed and enjoy a meal of hay before their next flight.
Twenty-three stalls are ready for horses to hang out.
The Ark
Twenty-three stalls are ready for horses to hang out.
The Pet Oasis is available for use by airlines, pet shippers and pet owners. Handlers can pick up and deliver pets directly to planes in special vehicles.
The Ark
The Pet Oasis is available for use by airlines, pet shippers and pet owners. Handlers can pick up and deliver pets directly to planes in special vehicles.
The Equine and Livestock Center has direct access to planes, allowing cows and horses a smooth boarding process.
The Ark
The Equine and Livestock Center has direct access to planes, allowing cows and horses a smooth boarding process.
The Ark's reception area greets owners who drop off their pets for a stay.
The Ark
The Ark's reception area greets owners who drop off their pets for a stay.

The Ark is an important stop for both pet owners and commercial animal exporters who struggle to get their animals through customs, assist them onto planes and care for them between flights. Pet owners who would rather not bring furry friends to the airline check-in desk can instead drop them off at The Ark, where they'll be checked in and transported to the airline's cargo area for a fee of $75. The Ark can also help gather the documents required to fly a pet overseas, a spokeswoman told HuffPost.

When fully complete this summer, The Ark will also include a boarding center and grooming spa for pets to stay overnight. Overnight accommodations will start at $55 for dogs and $35 for cats, the spokeswoman confirmed.

As you can see, some furry fliers are enjoying The Ark already. Paws-itively awesome!

Puppies are already staying in The Ark!
The Ark
Puppies are already staying in The Ark!
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