The San Diego International Airport has six pet relief areas. Five are outside in pre-security areas, while one is located inside Terminal 2 West in a secured area. Each is outfitted with grass (real and artificial), a fake fire hydrant, bags, trash cans, and a sink for owner use. The San Diego Airport pet policy requires that all non-working animals to remain in their carriers unless utilizing these facilities.
Terminal Guide for San Diego International Pet Relief Areas
The above map will provide useful directions for each of the San Diego Airport pet relief areas. Below, we have included detailed descriptions of how to access each of the stations.
- To access the first outdoor pet relief area, exit at the ground level of Terminal 2 close to the Air Canada, Hawaiian Airlines, Lufthansa, and United Airlines desks. The station will on the curb outside.
- To access the second outdoor station, exit through the ground level of Terminal 2 by the Delta Airlines, jetBlue Airways, Spirit Airlines, and Sun Country Airlines desk. The area will be on the curb outside.
- To access the third and fourth outdoor stations, exit through the ground level of Terminal 2. The areas will be on either side of the Taxis, Parking, Car Rental, and Hotel Shuttles strip.
- To access the fifth outdoor station, exit through the ground level of Terminal 2 east (Allegiant Air, British Airways, Japan Airlines, and West Jet) and turn to the right. The SAN pet relief area will be on your right.
- To access the post-security SAN pet relief area, proceed through Terminal 2 security and continue straight. The station will be between Gate 46 and Gate 47—just next to the human bathrooms.
SAN Airport Pet Relief Area Map
What to Expect from the San Diego Airport Pet Relief Stations
Most SAN pet relief areas are outdoors and post-security, meaning you will need to leave your Terminal to access green spaces. They are fenced but do not have a gate, meaning you should keep your furry friend on a leash. Trash cans and bags are provided. The airport tries to keep these areas in relatively quiet parts of the curb—the stations are peaceful, but require a bit of time to access.
The indoor, post-security location is small, providing just under fifteen square feet of artificial grass. Additionally, this secured location is relatively removed from major traffic areas within the terminals—it is at the far end of Terminal 2 West. The area includes a fake fire hydrant, solid waste bags for quick cleanup, a trash receptacle, and a sink. Employees clean the area twice a day, and two deodorizers are in place to keep the environment as clean as possible. The area, though small, offers some privacy to owners and their pets.
Though San Diego was the first American airport to implement a secured-area pet relief station, they have not done much to keep pace with other airports of similar size. In an airport like San Diego International, it can take as much as an hour to exit the terminal, locate a pet relief station, and re-enter through security. Having just a single, secured-area pet relief station—especially one located in the far corner of a terminal—is inconvenient and, considering the amount of passenger traffic, irresponsible.
When traveling through San Diego, reserve at least forty-five minutes to use the SAN pet relief station—even if your gate is close to the indoor area, you may need to wait your turn.