Air-Conditioned Pet Huts Placed at NY Travel Plazas

Pet owners traveling the New York State Thruway now have a cool option for their dogs when taking a break from driving: climate-controlled, temporary shelters.

A Brooklyn-based company called DogSpot has installed its dog houses at the entrances to 10 Thruway travel plazas.

Syracuse.com reports the small plastic huts have a window in front and they rent for 30 cents a minute. They're equipped with an interior "puppy cam" that allows pet owners to keep an eye on their pooch on their smartphone.

Each dog house has ultraviolet lights that kill viruses and bacteria between uses, and the air-conditioned huts are cleaned daily.

The three-year-old company is marketing its product for places that don't allow dogs, such as grocery stores, restaurants, libraries and roadside service centers.