Pet relief areas at Seattle airport
SEA has pet relief areas after security (A10, C3, D1, N and S stations, international arrivals) and outside at doors 33, 26 and 00/02 and the garage.
Pet relief areas sit on both sides of the checkpoint. Some are after security. Others are outside the terminal at the curb or in the garage.
Before security: outdoor spots
| Spot | Level | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Door 33 | Ticketing level, Departures Drive | Outside door 33, by Alaska Airlines |
| Door 26 | Baggage claim level, Arrivals Drive | Outside door 26, by Alaska Airlines |
| South end | Baggage claim level | Near door 00/02, past Carousel 1 |
| Parking garage | First level | Outside, near the blue elevators and the cruise lobby’s exit to transportation |
If you’re departing with a dog, door 33 is the unit on your level.
Alaska’s pet page tells travelers to take a pet to an airport relief area before the flight and to allow extra time at the check-in counter, so do the relief stop before you join the line.
If you’re arriving, use door 26 or the south end. Our baggage claim guide lists the carousels by airline, so you can see how far Carousel 1 is from yours.
The Port puts the Uber, Lyft and WINGZ pickup on the third floor of the parking garage, two floors above the garage relief area, so use the garage unit before you go up. Our rideshare page has the pickup location.
After security: indoor spots
| Spot | Where |
|---|---|
| A Concourse | Near A10 |
| C Concourse | At the restrooms near C3 |
| D Concourse | At the restrooms near D1 |
| S Concourse | At the S SEA Underground train station |
| N Concourse | At the N SEA Underground train station |
| International Arrivals Facility | Mezzanine level, in the U.S. Customs area near the restrooms, for internationally arriving passengers only |
A, B, C and D are joined airside on foot, so from a B gate walk to the A or C spot. N and S are not joined to them and need the train, so each has its own unit at its station.
If you’re connecting from an international flight, the IAF Transfers checkpoint exits into the A Concourse, where the A10 spot is. After it closes, you exit to the public side and screen again at a main checkpoint. Our connecting flights hub explains passport control, bag recheck and the checkpoint.
Dogs are allowed in the terminal in a carrier and on a leash
The Port’s pet page says all pets must be in their travel carriers and leashed when in the terminal. The only exception is a training or service dog, or another specially trained animal helping a traveler with a disability. A separate line says handlers should keep pets leashed at all times, at TSA screening, at the relief areas and throughout the terminal. The page doesn’t say how those two lines fit together, and it gives no allowance for walking a pet through the concourses outside its carrier.
What’s at each unit and the rules that apply
The Port says every unit has pet waste bags, hand sanitizer, a paper towel dispenser and a trash bin. Clean up after your animal. If a unit needs janitorial work, call the Port at (206) 787-5229.
The Port asks handlers to take elevators, not escalators, to avoid injuries.
A Port of Seattle video says the units are ADA accessible. It also tells dog owners to check their airline’s carrier size and weight limits and their pet’s vaccinations before flying.
Going through security with an animal
The Port’s pet page says animals should not go through an x-ray. Lead the leashed pet through the screening yourself. Carriers, vests and service animal gear are screened too.
TSA K9 teams also work the checkpoints, and animals aren’t allowed in a lane while a K9 is working it. An airport employee may send you to a different checkpoint, so check the hours on our checkpoint page before you pick one. The security wait guide shows when lines peak.
Landing from abroad with a dog
The Port’s page lists what a dog needs to enter the United States:
- Looks healthy on arrival
- At least 6 months old
- A microchip a universal scanner can read, implanted before the rabies vaccine
- A receipt for the CDC Dog Import Form
- A U.S.-issued rabies vaccination certificate or a USDA-endorsed export health certificate
Rules for cats and other animals aren’t on that page, so ask your airline and check the CDC. The airline also sets any seasonal temperature limits on animals, not SEA.
If your pet traveled in the aircraft’s cargo hold, collect it outside the International Arrivals Facility exit.
Hours and the current list
The Port publishes no hours for any unit, and no page or video says what surface a unit has or how large it is. The Port’s page promises more units and points to its interactive map for the current list, so check that map if a spot is missing when you arrive.
Sources
Our pages:
Official:
- Port of Seattle channel, Checking In at SEA: Paw-sitive Travel Tips for Flying With Dogs