You may have seen my disgusted review, back in May, of the pet relief area at Hartford’s Bradley International Airport. David White, BDL’s Operations Manager (Landside), recently sent me an e-mail assuring me that things have changed. Here’s the info: BDL now has two pet relief areas, one located in a corner of the lot pictured in my May 2012 post, and the other is at the opposite end of Terminal A.

I have just spent over an hour on the web, unsuccessfully trying to find a map showing BDL’s baggage carousels. It is my strong belief that the lot I showed you in my last post is located near Terminal A’s Baggage Carousel #8. Here’s what the new pet relief area now looks like:

As you can see, the lot has been weeded, and a corner has been gussied up with a partial, decorative fence, bark, a small trashcan, and a post with poop bags.

The other pet relief area is located just outside Terminal A’s Baggage Carousel #1, and David White tells me “[t]he two areas look identical.”

I am assured, too, that there is now signage for the BDL pet relief areas: “Once outside the building look for the green sign that says Pet Relief Area. From there follow the paw prints (will be painted next week) on the sidewalk to the Pet areas. Once outside the door, on each end of the lower level will be less than a 10 second walk to the areas.”

There was nowhere to go but up for BDL’s pet relief areas, and I appreciate how close they are to the terminal, but it would have been better — particularly given how much space is available! — if the areas were larger, completely (and effectively) fenced and provided with a bench for a pet owner’s luggage. If your dog has no interest in bark, or gravel, recall from my earlier post that there are useful patches of lawn across the airport roadway, outside the parking garage. Be sure, of course, to carry your own poop bags (or pick one up  from the official pet relief area) and clean up after your pup.

Please note that I had asked Mr. White for detailed directions to the pet relief areas with transiting passengers in mind — when you have only a brief layover, every moment counts — but he tells me that BDL “does not have connecting passengers, we are an O&D airport (origin and destination).”

My thanks to Mr. White for sending me the news about BDL’s improved pet relief areas, including a photo, and for responding so quickly to my follow-up questions. I am updating my earlier post about BDL with this information, and including this update in Dog Jaunt’s handy guide to airport pet relief areas.