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When you live in a city or travel with your pooch, it can be hard to find pet-friendly transportation, hotels, and restaurants. While we may not be able to help you find pet-friendly hotels or restaurants we can help you order a dog-approved rideshare!
Both Uber and Lyft let the decision to allow dogs in their cars rest with the drivers. This means that some drivers may decline you while others would be happy to oblige to your dog-friendly ride request. Since Uber drivers use their personal cars to pick up passengers, you'll want to assure them that your pup will be on its best behavior! We have outlined the top 5 ways to make sure your pet-friendly Uber ride goes without any mishaps.
1. The most important rule of traveling in an rideshare car with your dog is to call the driver ahead of time. As soon as you request your ride and your driver is on their way, 
contact that driver and ask if it is OK if you bring your dog along for the ride. If the driver does have a problem with dogs in his or her car, you can simply cancel the request within the allotted time period. Make sure to be honest about the size and breed of your dog as some drivers might only be OK with certain types of dogs!
2. Show off your well behaved dog. When your Uber is near arrival, make sure your dog is sitting very nicely beside you. If your dog looks calm and well behaved, drivers will feel more comfortable from the get-go!
3. Bring a towel. If your dog is a big "shedder" or loves to dig holes at the park, make sure to bring a towel or blanket to put over the seat. Many drivers are notorious for taking pride in their clean cars and if you try to get in an Uber or Lyft with a wet, muddy dog chances are slim that you will actually get a ride.
4. Bring a carrier. If your dog is small enough to fit in a carrier that you can hold or place beside you, definitely use it! Most drivers have zero problems giving a lift to a dog if it is contained within a carrier.
5. Tip nicely. If you get a driver who is happy to have your dog in their car, make sure to show them you appreciate it!
As an important sidenote, if you have a service animal, your driver is always obliged to take both you and your pet! However, we still recommend following the above steps to make sure your ride goes smoothly.
The rideshare service Summon, also follows the above guidelines.
As of June 6th, 2016, Uber has begun allowing dogs in their cars in Istanbul, Turkey. The special service is titled "UberPet" and it is the same rate (plus a 10TL surcharge) as an UberXL. With UberPet you can easily bring your pet along without worrying about messaging and asking the driver first! Uber has equipped each UberPet driver with a kit including seat covers, lint rollers, etc so you don't have to worry about bringing your pet into a drivers car. If you are interested in this service in your hometown, let Uber know.
RIDEGURU
Comments
Very helpful info. Thsnks!
My new girlfriend has a dog and we've been taking Uber with the little puppy. I love the dog, but the drivers look more nervous than usual. Am I getting bad ratings? How can I check and prevent my Uber reputation going down the tubes?
You can check your rating through the Uber app. Click on the menu, and right under your name you will see your rating out of 5 stars. If you notice your rating has been going down since you've brought your puppy, maybe try to give your driver a call before you enter the ride. Some drivers appreciate the heads up when you will be bringing a dog. Uber's policy is that pets are up to the discretion of the driver -- so it may be that your drivers may not have approved of the pet. You can easily solve this by letting your driver know ahead of time, and asking if you have permission :)
You know how hotels can have pet-free rooms? I wonder if there is such thing for Uber... or if there ever will be... especially if you have an allergy.
Yes! I am severely allergic to cats and it always makes me nervous riding in Uber's because I never know if the driver ora previous passenger has had a cat in their car. They should definitely make this service. In fact it should be "allergy free rides" no animals, peanuts, treenuts etc allowed!
Add cologne-wearers, perfume-wearers, anyone who has smoked/been around people who smoke within the past few hours, and most cosmetics-wearers to the list.
UberPerfume and UberSmokers. Problem solved.
Then you shouldn't use any services then & just stay home because it clearly says here that they used their own personal cars for this & the drivers themselves may own cats. FYI many people traveling with cats keep them in carries.
Yeah, people who are allergic to peanuts probably shouldn't visit peanut factory.
so basically, it's up to the driver.
yeah, but many drivers prefer NOT to carry dogs. There's a pretty big feud on this stuff. Courteous riders would tell the drivers in advance, and then they realize half the drivers would cancel on them. Reasoning is how the dog can smell up the car or leave hair behind. Hard to blame them I guess.
There's been recent controversy about how riders often scam drivers by saying the dogs are service animals. it's a contentious topic indeed.
Don't get me started on those emotional support animals. it's nuts.
It won’t let me tip my last driver and he was very helpful
jean Murdock
You can tip from the app...and if that option disappears, you can still do it from your email receipt. Right below the star ratings, there should be a tip button. There might have been a time limit on that, but maybe you can try?
Not for nothing, did you know a good number of people are starting to tip with cash? It's because it tends to boost your passenger rating this way. See the drivers have to rate their customers right away before they can grab another (some exceptions apply) so if you tip them cash, they'll like you more.
So...remember that.
From what i have researched, it is all up to the driver if he wants to let a pet in. I read at http://ridesharecrew.com/blog/does-uber-allow-pets that service animals have to be let in due to the law.
Right, protected by law. That's where a doctor's note comes into play for your pet being an "emotional support animals." What a time to be alive.
Emotional Support Animal are not Service Dogs. I have an ESA and it drives me insane when those with an ESA say they are SDs. ESAs have no rights in regard to anything other than being allowed in no-pet housing and riding free and in cabin in airplanes.
Bringing a dog with you in an Uber is like bringing a drunk friend! I don't want the responsibility - or to pay for the mess if something happens.
I just wrote a post about this topic on my blog that comprehensively covered Uber and Lyft's pet policies, so I find this particularly interesting.
Here's a quick rundown of Uber and Lyft's pet policies:
The 5 steps to traveling with your pet are very well thought out, and things I believe that all riders traveling with a pet should understand. ESPECIALLY bringing a towel and tipping well.
While most drivers might not want to take your pet, they may feel obligated to in order to avoid an awkward situation or a bad rating. Tipping gives them the credit they're due for getting your and your pet safely to your destination.
Just keep that in mind and be courteous and nice when traveling with your pet. Your driver will appreciate it!
Good stuff. Thank you.
No problem. Happy to help!
Agreed, if you bring your dog you should ALWAYS tip!!!!
I have anxiety and a form of Autism. I have a service dog. Not being allowed to ride and showing off good behaviour is discrimination. These rules need to be changed.😡
Serious question: aren't policies like this usually only applicable to pets -- don't service animals fall under different rules/laws? Or does it depend on the company? Not having a service animal I am not sure how it works.
Ya, I think companies like Uber and Lyft HAVE to allow service animals. The article even states this "As an important sidenote, if you have a service animal, your driver is always obliged to take both you and your pet "
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