The Ark at JFK, a facility to house traveling cats and dogs, horses, parrots, and almost any other kind of animal, was recently opened at John F. Kennedy International Airport by a couple from Greenwich – John Cuticelli and his wife Elizabeth Schuette-Cuticelli.
The Ark consists of four barns and is 178,000 square feet in size. There are dimming lights specially designed so that its guests can adjust from jetlag. The couple from Greenwich say the goal of the facility is to be one of the most advanced one of its kind for importing and exporting traveling animals in the world.
In 2015, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey awarded them their bid to develop the animal transport facility. Cuticelli and his wife said it is the first terminal and quarantine in the world to be privately owned, and they hope to open many others across the country.
Schuette-Cuticelli added that part of their marketing services is to get the message out that the Ark improves conditions for animals that are traveling. At the Ark, they can move around and go outside in a fenced-in area known as the Pet Oasis, which is under the care and supervision of professionals.
The location of the Ark is convenient so pets can be dropped off before flights and brought directly to the facility during layovers.
