Since I visited BWI in December 2011, the airport has added a second pet relief area — happily, more centrally-located — and reader Gery sent me an excellent report about visiting it with his pup Alfie. Please note that the pet relief area Chloe and I visited (at one far end of the terminal, by the light rail station) is still there, and would be a convenient choice for passengers arriving on international flights.

Per BWI’s website, the new pet relief area is located “in front of the Hourly Garage. It can be accessed three ways.” Click here for details about reaching the area from Concourses B, C, and D, but Gery summed it up as follows: “Take the elevator to the Upper Level, cross the sky-bridge and then take the garage elevator to level 3. There are two entrances (but one is blocked – well, sort of, Alfie and I got through anyway) by some orange barrels and yellow ‘caution’ tape…  The entrances are near ‘isles’ 3B, and 3E, respectively.”

Gery thoroughly approves of the new spot:

“This is an absolutely wonderful pet area – the only thing that might make it better would be a location INSIDE the ‘secured’ area. I suppose that an espresso bar would be nice also 🙂 There is a super nice ‘golf course quality’ grassy area, an equally nice concrete pad, a park bench, and a source of water, with a nice stainless dog dish. The area is completely fenced in, so I had no issue letting Alfie just wander about off-leash while I relaxed on the park bench.”

When you arrive at Level 3, follow this white-lined path to the right.

The orange barrels mark the entrance to the pet relief area (see the edges of the red awning just beyond them?)

Entrance to the pet relief area. Please note the red awning, mentioned in the airport’s directions. This is the spot Gery mentions sheltering under in rainy weather (see below).

Once past the entrance, that path you saw in the last picture hugs the building and leads to the pet relief area proper.

And here’s Alfie, having a drink. I believe the red wall is the same one that’s just visible on the (distant) far right in Gery’s last picture.

In case it’s raining, he noted, “The entrances have little overhangs, so the pet can still take care of ‘business’ in the adjacent plants, while the owner (and luggage) remain protected.  Following a short paved walkway, however, will lead you the pet-area ‘proper’.”

Please note that it’s taken me almost a month to post Gery’s message, so by now the orange construction barrels may be gone — but that red awning will continue to be a good landmark. Thank you so much, Gery, for the update and the great pictures — and for bearing the glad tidings that travelers won’t have to schlep all the way to the end of the terminal (or risk dashing across the roadway) to give their pets a break. I have added this information to Dog Jaunt’s handy guide to airport pet relief areas.