The ARK at JFK — Attraction in New York

If you care about your pet or your mental health, PLEASE think twice before trusting ARK Pet Oasis at JFK.

I made a reservation for my dog months ago, back in February. Since then, it’s been nothing but a nightmare. The only “good” thing I can say is that they did change my reservation date multiple times but I had to go in person, wasting two hours on a bus because they just don’t answer emails or phone calls. Communication is a joke. I was emotionally drained, stressed, crying, and desperate. You either show up in person or get ignored. That’s the reality.

I only went in person once, and the girl who helped me knew I was struggling with my English, and yet she kept speaking only in English the whole timenot even trying to make things easier. But the worst part? As I was leaving, I saw her speaking perfect Spanish with someone else. She knew I was from Colombia. She knew I spoke Spanish. That was not only rude it was bitchy, fake, and unnecessary. She just didn’t care. That moment made me feel small, frustrated, and humiliated.

They say they can respond 10 days before the flight which I have to understand but when I followed up, it was already 8 days before. That’s not only disrespectful it’s irresponsible. And yes, they have bad management. No kidding. They’re slow, egocentric, and completely out of touch with the emotional and financial pressure people are under when trying to reunite with their pets.

They gave me a bill for over $1,200 for a 7 year old, spayed Boston Terrier who’s not being sold, not being bred, not being imported for any business purpose. Just my dog. My baby. All I wanted was to bring her to spend her final years with me. And guess what? They know that many airlines don’t even accept my breed. But they don’t tell you that they’ll take your money anyway, and you’re on your own.

These people don’t care if you’re reunited with your pet. They just want your money.

They even charged hundreds of dollars for reviewing documents and uploading them to a CDC database basically, charging you for doing the job they already signed up for. It’s pathetic and greedy. And then when I told them my dog had surgery (a breast tumor removal with full vet documentation) they used that as another excuse to delay my approval. I had to email the CDC myself, translate everything, and spend even more money to prove my dog wasn’t a risk. And despite all that, I had to cancel because I couldn’t afford their ridiculous, inhuman prices.

This isn’t a pet service. This is a business run by people who couldn’t care less about your emotional damage, your family, your situation...nothing.

Thanks to ARK JFK, I may not see my dog again, my baby, part of my life. She’s old. She’s everything to me. And because of their greed, incompetence, and cold hearts, I don’t know when or if I’ll ever hold her again. The sadness I carry is unbearable. And no, it’s not about CDC rules don’t let them use that as an excuse. It’s about a system that’s broken, selfish, and cruel.

They don’t care about love. They care about money. And they’ll do the bare minimum while still making you pay like you’re checking in a golden unicorn.

Avoid this place if you value transparency, compassion, or basic human decency. I hate this place, and I regret trusting them with something so sacred to me. Bringing a pet to the U.S. shouldn’t feel like a punishment or a luxury. But with them, it does. Hating...

What an experience! Their prices are out of control because they have a monopoly on after-hours pick up and drop off. $200 to deliver your pet to the plane (what!?) ... $150 to keep your pet there for the day, and NO, they do not give you any price break on that amount if your pet only has to stay there for an hour. If your plane boards (exporting your pet) or arrives (importing your pet) after hours, you had better bring a few extra crisp hundred dollar bills. They also have a bunch of travel kennels there that you can buy at a huge mark up (so make sure that you have the right size kennel way ahead of time!). I had offered to drop the puppy off at JFK as a courtesy to the new owner and the broker. The broker was not made aware at any time that there would be additional charges. He and the new owner had already gotten off on the wrong foot, and he was NOT about to call him up and tell him that he was going to have to pay MORE 🤣. So the broker, after almost having an aneurysm, had to cough up the additional fees out of pocket. Which is why I gave 5 stars (because I did not have to pay for it!), because my rating is solely based on the facility at the Ark, and the customer service. Their facility is ... ridiculously impressive. The services that they offer are extremely convenient and necessary. It was so wonderful to know that the puppy was able to stretch his legs, eat, drink, potty, and feel at ease for the hours leading up to departure. He had already been in that kennel for two hours driving from my house to the airport. I am used to making sure everything is prepped for take off, but here at the Ark they do all of that for you. For a huge cost, they take care of ALL the headache associated with shipping your pet. They are prepared for everything and carry a HUGE responsibility. Everything they take care of for you is extremely stressful, trust me. The whole team was so incredibly kind, helpful, sympathetic, and even funny. They were great. I didn't want to leave after meeting them! 😂 I jokingly told them that I should open up my own knock off Ark next door with half off every service they provide... so people have a choice! Their fees are definitely insane, and you literally have no choice but to pay them. There is no alternative. In all honesty, people should be made aware of these extra fees at the time of booking - not when you've prepared for weeks in advance, paid for the USDA health paperwork, driven white knuckle down the Belt parkway, did all the paperwork at cargo and handed them your debit to pay for the flight. THAT is not the moment at which to spring this on people. The purchase of the flight is supposed to cover getting the puppy on the plane. The reason why the fees are so upsetting and infuriating is not just because they are a surprise, not just because they are inescapable, but because we all know that they are double what they should be 🤷🏼‍♀️ They are double. $75 is an appropriate kenneling fee. $100 is an appropriate delivery-to-airplane fee. The employees should be given the ability to offer SOME sort of discount to those who cannot afford to pay trumped up charges. It would definitely lower the aggravation levels on both ends. Just some...

Terrible Experience / Extremely Unprofessional and Frustrating

It’s been 2 months since I made a reservation and I haven’t receive any confirmation yet! Flights prices are extremely expensive now due to their lack of service. The reservation is under my father’s name

I cannot get ahold of this company at all. After submitting their request form with all the required paperwork over a month ago, I still haven’t received any response. I tried emailing, calling, and using every option on their phone system, but it never connects to a real person it’s just a useless voicemail that offers no help.

I even called JFK Airport directly, and they had no idea how to assist me because the staff are just not properly informed. I originally sent my email months ago and followed their instructions to not send multiple emails but after waiting way beyond their so-called "two-week" response window, I received no reply whatsoever.

It's incredibly stressful, especially since everything else for my pet (certifications, serology titers, vaccinations) has been ready for a long time. The only thing missing is the confirmation from the Animal Care Center for arrival at JFK, and without it, my international trip is in jeopardy.

What’s even more frustrating is that after making a reservation, they tell you they might not confirm it until 10 days before your flight despite requiring you to schedule everything more than 40 days ahead. This is completely unfair and illogical.

They’ve created confusing, poorly thought-out policies that aren't traveler-friendly at all. It's especially discriminatory against countries they label "high risk" for rabies, making the whole process almost impossible if you’re trying to reunite your family with a pet.

The documentation requirements are ridiculous: they ask for paperwork that must be signed for a vet certified in your home country within just 3 days before travel even though all the same information was already submitted in the form. I guess they are lazy to check carefully the prior information, asking you multiple times for the same things but every time more summarize. You end up paying twice for documents they don't even need, just because their system is disorganized and inefficient.

This whole experience has been desperate, infuriating, and ridiculously expensive for service that’s average at best honestly, it feels like much less than average. Plus, they’re only open during limited hours, which means you have to juggle their terrible schedule with your airline’s timing.

The Ark at JFK is a nightmare. Why all international pets have to come only to this airport! They are not doing a good job and making everything more difficult for other countries, I don't know who thought it was a good idea to chance the policies form august 2024. I hate this. I had to pay twice for the documentation because by the time I was planning to bring my dogs they just chance the policies. My heart is broken I feel hopeless about I can bring my dogs all because of this people and they pretty...