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RESOLUTION DIRECTING THE COUNTY MAYOR OR HIS DESIGNEE TO REPORT WITHIN THIRTY DAYS ON THE FEASIBILITY OF MIAMI DADE COUNTY DESIGNING, BUILDING AND OPERATING PET HOTELS AT THE MIAMI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT AND THE MIAMI SEAPORT

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WHEREAS, it is estimated that Americans spend $3 billion a year boarding and grooming their pets, and, in light of the fact that passengers need to provide care and boarding to their pets while they are traveling, it is in the best interest of Miami Dade County to study the feasibility of designing, building and operating pet hotels at the Miami International Airport (�MIA�) and the Miami Seaport (�Seaport�); and
WHEREAS, a growing number of airports are seeing pet hotels being built inside or near to their airport facilities; pet hotels are already open and running near the airports at Jacksonville, New Orleans and Portland, Oregon, and pet hotel operators have plans to open facilities or are in discussions with Dallas/Fort Worth, Denver, Chicago O�Hare, Chicago Midway, Houston Bush Intercontinental, Houston Hobby and Minneapolis; and
WHEREAS, because the operation of a pet hotel is a way for airports to boost their non-aviation revenue, many airports will run their airport pet hotel as a for-profit operation; in Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, for example, the Animal Humane Society was the successful bidder to run a for-profit pet boarding facility that will accommodate up to 141 guests, and it is estimated that the airport will collect approximately $4 million in rent and concession fees from the facility over a fifteen year period,
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, FLORIDA, that the Board requests the Mayor or designee to report to the Board within thirty (30) days, on the feasibility of Miami Dade County designing, building and operating pet hotels at MIA and the Seaport. The study should identify land available inside or outside MIA and the Seaport for the project.