Continental opens first airport kennel

So you're flying with your pet and you end up on a long layover — what do you do? If you happen to have a layover at Bush Intercontinental Airport (and we're not sure why you would if you're from Houston), you now have an option: Continental Airlines opened the country's first on-site airport pet kennel earlier this week. It's a 24-hour facility that's prepared to handle whatever pets come its way.

"This is a great facility while they're making their connection -- be it four hours, five hours, six hours, they can spend their layover time here in the kennel," said Lisa Schoppa, Continental's manager of pet product development.

Separate cages keep all types of animals in their own areas.

"We've had ferrets. We've had chinchillas. We've had birds, lab mice, anything that might come through and need to be handled in air conditioned protection," Schoppa said.

The kennel is equipped with exercise and grooming areas, and staff memebrs take the pets for walks — the ones that like to walk, anyway — and give them food and water. Continental's kennel will help the airline serve a growing number of pet passengers: Last year, Continental transported 86,000 animals, 70,000 of which passed through Houston. This year, it expects to fly more than 110,000 animals.