The animals are not coming to the Ark at Kennedy International Airport. Not one by one. Not two by two.
On a recent Thursday morning, no million-dollar racehorses or sleek show horses from Europe were standing in the 48 specially designed stalls for their mandatory three-day quarantine. No pigeons or finches bound for pet shops fluttered in the 5,000-square foot aviary. Paradise 4 Paws, a dog and cat resort with 150 suites inside Ark, has yet to open.
The $65 million animal transit facility opened a year ago to great fanfare, as “the world’s only animal terminal and the first full-service quarantine facility” for the import and export of horses, pets, zoo animals and livestock. Built just yards from the runways, the idea was that animals could be deplaned and within minutes be enjoying the Ark’s climate-controlled environment and, if needed, the services of its veterinary clinic.
