We've featured various airports in our Pet Friendly Airport Series, and now it's time to take a look at Dulles International in Washington, DC (IAD).
This airport stands apart from most others in that it offers two pet relief areas both inside security and inside the building for travelers with pets. Being able to take care of your pet without having to exit and enter secured areas can be a very valuable time saver for pet travelers on the go -- especially these days, when flight delays tend to shorten layovers more often than not, no matter how friendly the pet airline is.
Pet travelers will probably be pleasantly surprised to discover two weather-protected relief areas located near the departing gates rather than the parking lots. Consisting of clearly-marked rooms with astro-turf type material that automatically cleans itself after a dog uses it, these modern areas exceed the minimum standards and hopefully signal the wave of the future.
Have any of you had the opportunity to use the pet-relief amenities at IAD? Did everything function properly? What did you think of the set-up? Like we said before, the more information we all share with each other, the better all of our travel experiences will be!
Editor's Note: This post was originally published in November 2010 and has been updated with new information.