San Diego International Airport knows how to treat man's best friend right when it comes to bathroom time.
The airport has installed the only "Pet Relief" airport comfort station in the nation as part of a billion-dollar airport expansion. The 75-square-foot space is located between Gates 46 and 47 in Terminal 2 West and is the perfect spot for a pet to poop while at the airport. It includes fake grass and a hydrant, two deodorizers, complimentary baggies and even a handwashing station for owners. The doggie bathroom is cleaned twice a day by maintenance workers, UT San Diego reports.
The pet bathroom opened in April between the men's, women's and family bathrooms. Airport spokeswoman Katie Jones would not say how much the facility cost but she said it has been well received and many across the nation are beginning to notice.
Colm Marmion, airport customer service coordinator overseeing accessibility issues, was the one to suggest the idea according to Jones. She said it had gained national media attention.
"I've received calls from NPR, Reddit, Huffington Post," Jones said. "A national game show made it a question. We've really gotten a lot of attention and it's been very positive."
Pet supporters are glad to see that the airport is doing something to assist pets.
According to Petfriendlytravel.com, which surveyed airport around the country, San Diego is the only one that has an enclosed bathroom that is specifically made for pets.
Tom Rossbach, director of aviation architecture at HNTB, the Lindbergh expansion's design firm in Kansas City, claims that his company came up with the idea as a way to comply with TSA requirements for pet relief areas. He's hoping to bring the doggy bathroom to other areas. "We're offering that to our other airport clients," he said.
The airport has four other pet relief areas which are outdoors, so they require passengers to exit the terminal and go through security all over again to return to their gate.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
