by Donald Wood
Last updated: 12:30 PM ET, Mon May 2, 2016
Photo courtesy of Thinkstock
New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport is one of the latest airports in the United States to add designated pet relief facilities.
According to The Associated Press, John F. Kennedy International Airport has designated a 70-square-foot room in Terminal 4 as a pet relief facility, where guide and service dogs, emotional support animals and other pets traveling with passengers are permitted to relieve themselves without having to go outside.
New federal regulation going into effect this August will require all airports serving over 10,000 passengers per year to install a pet relief area in every terminal. In addition to New York's JFK Airport, the pet bathrooms can be found at Washington Dulles International Airport, O'Hare International Airport in Chicago and Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.
READ MORE: Amtrak Announces It Will Allow Pets on Most Trains
"With long flights and short transit time frames, passengers would not have enough time with plane changes to come back through security," consumer services manager Karen Greis told The AP. "Having relief areas inside the terminal is a stress reliever for the handlers."
"We had seen an increase of passengers traveling with pets and we decided to do it sooner rather than later," terminal vice president Susana Cunha told The AP.
READ MORE: The 5 Most Unique Pet-Friendly Hotels
The addition of the restroom for animals has pet owners encouraged by the convenience. Before, travelers would be forced to bring their pets outside to relieve themselves, forcing them to go through security more than once.
Now, a quick stop at the pet relief facility is intended to avoid all of the previous headaches.
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