TulsaPets Magazine November 2023

November / December 2023 • TulsaPets 29 GOTTA GO! Tulsa International Airport Adds Indoor Pet Relief Areas by Rowena Mills | Photos courtesy of Kim Kuehler Y ou are traveling through Tulsa International Airport with your service dog, comfort animal, or pet. You are about ready to head for the plane, and you have made a last-minute stop at the restroom. But your doggy needs to go too. No, you tell him, he will just have to wait until later. Or will he? Did you know there are places for your pooch to make a potty stop too? What? Where? Tulsa International Airport (TIA) has two new indoor pet relief areas available for pets or service animals traveling with their people. The areas are lo- cated past security, on each of the concours- es. And TIA has one outdoor pet area too. “Indoor and outdoor pet relief areas allow passengers to take care of their furry friends while traveling,” says Kim Kuehler, communications manager of Tulsa Airports Improvement Trust. “We love to let people know how we can help pet owners and their furry loved ones while at the airport. The new indoor pet relief areas have faux grass, disposable bags for pet waste, hand sanitiz- er, sink, and paper towels.” Bryan Crook, director of customer experience for Tulsa Airports Improvement Trust, says, “We welcome people to travel through our airport and to fly with their pets because it makes the travel process more fun and pleasurable for many of our passengers. Tulsa International Airport has had the one designated outdoor pet relief area for at least five years now, and it dou- bles as our public-side service animal relief area (SARA).” Amenities for Animals If you do not travel with animals, you might not have noticed pet relief areas at other airports, but they exist. Crook explains, “Many air- ports have outdoor and indoor pet relief areas. It is actually a Federal Aviation Administration require- ment for most airports, based on passenger enplanement numbers, to have SARAs on the secured side of the checkpoint. These SARAs then double as pet relief areas. I am unaware of an airport that prohibits pets from using their SARAs.” Other animals are welcome too. Crook says, “We do not have any special ac- commodations for cats, rabbits, or other animals, but they can use the existing accommodations.” He adds, “Animals in the terminal do not have to be in carriers but do need to be on leashes. Service animals, which according to the United States Department of Transpor- This outdoor relief area at Tulsa International Airport is available for service dogs and other animals. (Left) Tulsa International Airport has added two indoor relief areas for four-legged travelers.