tl;dr – You can now drop your dog at some cozy digs before you fly out of Rome’s FCO airport.
Some fun news out of Italy this week – the first dog relais inside an Italian airport recently opened in the major airport servicing Italy’s capital city. Operated by “Fly Le Dog”, the dog airport resort & daycare offers overnight stays or daycare for the dogs of owners who are departing for extended travels or are simply busy at work. Any pet owner who travels frequently and doesn’t have a ‘go-to’ friend or family member to fill in as a sitter likely knows the importance of a quality dog hotel. From the looks of what Fly Le Dog has cooked up at FCO Airport, I have to say I’m impressed.
Rome Fiumicino’s Dog Relais from Fly Le Dog
Boarding rates are based upon occupancy and service standard – the standard single accommodation for 1 dog starts at €39.90.
Parents to multiple dogs can opt to house them all together – (a standard multiple dog setup costs €49.90 for up to four dogs from the same owner).
A premium accommodation, which includes an interactive webcam and memory foam cushioning for your dog, costs €59.90 per pooch.
In hopes of maintaining a serene environment for the dogs, Fly Le Dog plays ambient low-frequency tunes in the boarding rooms at night. I’d imagine if there’s any soundproofing, this music will only further combat any loud jet engines from incoming and outgoing planes at the nearby runways.
Owners can also choose from several optional services such as transport, grooming, veterinary services, and aromatherapy.
Day care services are available from a 07:30 AM check-in to a 6:00 PM check-out schedule. A single visit costs 25€, and packages of 10 (220€) and 15 (300€) visits are sold at 12% and 20% discounts off the single visit rate.
Day care is optimized for socialization, where travelers ‘four-legged friend(s) will have access to an outdoor area of approximately 1000 sqm, divided into green spaces where dogs are organized by size and temperament.’ That said, if your pup needs some personal time, an indoor area offers additional opportunities for play and rest, ensuring a peaceful day until it’s time to go home.’
With all services, dogs are (expectedly) ‘never alone’ – in addition to the ‘expert and qualified staff’ on hand, there’s also veterinary assistance available to administer any optional medical/treatment services as well as to handle any emergencies.
Honestly, this sounds like a pretty well-run operation. Pupbeard, who you might remember from his flying adventures, attends a day care that sounds pretty similar. However, for as great as his day care family is, they are not located at our home airport, which admittedly is a big part of the draw here.
Can we take a minute to appreciate the ‘day in the life’ breakdown of a day at FCO’s dog daycare?
The Dog Relais is located at Via Antonio Zara, inside the Long Stay Car Park at Fiumicino Airport.
For added convenience, there is a shuttle service to help ensure the safe transport of your dog to and from the day care center, and reservations can be made at flyledog.info.
