Northwest Florida Regional Airport has opened a new dog park to serve its four-legged passengers. The dog park serves passengers’ pets, as well as working animals including law enforcement K-9 units, therapy dogs and dogs that assist their ADA wards.
“We see a lot more wounded veterans who rely on service dogs at our airport, and this sends a clear message that we care about them, while providing a great service to all travelers,” said Commissioner Kelly Windes, chairman.
Kathy McCabe, publisher of an online travel newsletter remarked, “I have an 11-year old wire fox terrier and know that travel can make many dogs nervous and anxious. When they feel this way, they sometimes need to ‘go’ more often than usual. So it’s nice to be able to give a dog a break before getting on board the plane.”
According to the American Pet Products Association’s most recent survey, 62 percent of American households own a pet. And, if the rise in pet-friendly hotels, restaurants, theme-parks and tourist attractions is any measure, many of those pets get to tag along when their owners head out on the road.
Northwest Florida Regional Airport (VPS) is a joint-use facility established on Eglin AFB in 1957. The airport accommodates over 800,000 passengers annually on American Eagle, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines and US Airways. For further information, please visit www.flyvps.com.