Are you allowed to bring a pet into an Uber? The answer is yes—if Uber Pet is in your area, or if your driver is pet friendly.
These are your options if you want your pet to join you for an Uber ride:
- If your animal is a service animal, all Uber drivers for every Uber ride type are required to accommodate your pet
- The Uber Pet ride type is available in many cities and will accommodate one animal for a small surcharge
- If Uber Pet isn’t in your area, you can contact your driver after matching to ask if they are ok with your pet
Read on to learn more about Uber Pet, Uber’s service animal policy, and what you can do if Uber Pet isn’t in your city yet.
Uber Drivers: Skip to the section about Uber Pet for drivers. Learn how much rides pay, and how to disable or enable Pet requests.
What is Uber Pet? A ride for you and your pet
Uber Pet is an Uber ride type that matches you with pet-friendly drivers.
Uber Pet can accommodate one animal, such as a cat or dog. There are no restrictions on the breed or size of the animal.
Uber Pet costs around $3–$5 more than a regular UberX.
Uber Pet isn’t available in every city. To see if you can choose Uber Pet for your ride, enter your destination and scroll through the ride options to find Uber Pet.
Bring along your pet for a few dollars more
Other rules and tips for Uber Pet: Your animal should be under control in a leash or harness, or in a crate. Bring a towel or blanket to cover the seat and prevent shedding.
Even though Uber Pet is designed to accommodate animals, you can still be charged a cleaning fee if your animal leaves a mess or excessive hair.
If Uber Pet isn’t in your city, there are still ways to get a ride with your animal!
Uber Pet not in your area? You can still try to bring your pet along
Even if Uber Pet isn’t in your area, many drivers don’t mind if you bring a well-behaved animal into their car as long as you’re courteous about it.
If your animal is a service animal, all drivers must accommodate you and your animal at no extra charge.
Message your driver after matching: After you request your ride, message the driver and ask them if it’s ok if you bring a dog.
If they say no, cancel the ride immediately to avoid being charged the cancellation fee. Wait a few minutes and try requesting another ride.
Prepare for your animal: Bring a clean blanket or towel to lay down on the seat. Cats should be in carriers. Larger dogs belong in an UberXL.
Don’t use a shared ride: If you have an animal, don’t use UberX Share unless it’s a service animal.
Cleaning fees are possible: You will be charged a cleaning fee if your pet leaves a mess or damages the car. That includes excessive hair!
Remember: Just ask! Most drivers allow dogs in their car as long as you give them a heads-up. You are riding in their car, so be considerate.
How pets work for Uber drivers: Do you have to allow animals?
Uber drivers are required to accommodate passengers with service animals, but are not required to accommodate non-service animals.
Drivers can also opt into Uber Pet to indicate that they are pet friendly.
Uber service animal policy for drivers
The Americans with Disabilities Act requires that Uber drivers accept passengers with service animals. Here are the rules:
- Drivers must accommodate passengers with service animals
- Service animals don’t need to have an identifying collar or vest
- Drivers can ask only two questions: “Is the animal required because of a disability? And, “What work or task has the animal been trained to perform?”
- Drivers can’t ask passengers to prove a disability or show service animal ‘papers’
- Drivers can’t use allergies, fear, or religious objection as a reason to deny a service animal
- Service animal passengers will not be charged a cleaning fee for shedding hair
If you violate the service animal policy, you can be permanently deactivated by Uber.
Uber is very strict about the service animal policy, and for good reason: Uber had to pay a $1.1 million judgment to a passenger with a service animal who was declined service.
Here’s the policy that drivers have to agree to:
All drivers have to agree to Uber’s service animal policy
What about ’emotional support animals?’
Drivers only have to accommodate service animals. You can decline the ride if a rider says the animal is an emotional support animal and not a service animal.
Remember, you can only ask two questions: “Is the animal required because of a disability? And, “What work or task has the animal been trained to perform?”
Practically speaking, many riders with an emotional support animal may answer yes to the first question or give an unclear answer. It’s probably best to accept the ride and avoid any service animal complaints, which can lead to permanent deactivation.
Uber Pet for drivers
If you are pet friendly and want to start accepting Uber Pet requests, you can opt in via the Work Hub.
To opt into Uber Pet, go to Menu > Account > Work Hub > Select Uber Pet.
Uber says that Uber Pet rides can pay an additional ~$3, but some drivers report that Pet rides don’t seem to pay more than UberX.
The opt-in for Uber Pet
After you opt into Uber Pet, you can go back and deselect it from your ride preferences if you no longer want to do it.
How to disable Uber Pet requests
To turn off Uber Pet requests, open your Preferences on the home screen and tap on the Uber Pet checkbox.
Open Preferences to enable or disable Uber Pet
Getting Uber Pet requests from passengers without pets? Here’s what’s happening
Some drivers get Uber Pet requests from passengers that don’t have a pet with them. It happens when Uber Pet is cheaper than other Uber ride types, so the passenger simply selects the most inexpensive ride even though they don’t have an animal.
Is Uber pet worth it? Drivers react
Every Uber Pet ride I have given the riders have been super respectful and every dog has been super friendly
Honestly, every Uber Pet I’ve done has been crap. There isn’t a difference in pay and they never ever, ever, ever tip
I’ve only done 2. Both were very pleasant small dogs, well behaved
I’ve only had pets like 3 times out of 500 + rides now
I’m still cleaning hair from a dog that shedded all over my backseat 6 months ago
Ain’t no animals getting in my car, period
Can drivers have their own pets in the car?
As independent contractors, drivers can bring animals in the vehicle, but the animal should not cause a safety issue or disruption.
If your animal is a service animal, it’s a good idea to contact Uber and let them know you have a service dog to potentially prevent issues in the future.
One of our readers confirmed this: “My wife has a service dog and signed up for Uber as a driver last year. She is allowed to take her service dog with her. Mind you, the dog is a SERVICE DOG, it is very, very well-trained. It sits upfront with her and does not interact with the riders.”
More information for Uber passengers:
Manuela says
I need to transport my dog to the aeroport. I have to leave the house at 5:00am. How am I to chance calling a ubber and be refused the ride? What then? Loose my flight because I can not get a driver at that time of the day that will accept a pet? This pet, by the way, will be in a crate. Wow can I book a ride in advance and be sure I will not be refused said ride?
DougH says
Sadly there is no way to be 100% sure. To give yourself the best changes possible, order an UberXL so that the driver can place the crate into the back area of the car. Request the ride at least 30 minutes before you need it, and immediately contact the driver to let them know about the pet.
Chris says
Well isn’t it about time Uber provided a button on the app to allow people to nominate whether they have a pet itr not… slack application and a pretty poor measure of customers
Roger Smith says
Thanks for the comment . I pulled my info without delay from Uber’s site. Here’s a quote : get your https://www.pdscenter.com/
Roger Smith says
Hi, thanks for information for related pets.
Patricia Walker says
I was just turned down by two uber driv er s in a row. When I called the second tI’m I specifically said the first guy had refused and to send someone who would take a dog. She weighs 30 lbs and is well behaved.
Hjj says
Svc animals
1) Is this a service dog required because of a disability?
2) What is it trained to do to mitigate the disability?
“Animals whose sole function is to provide emotional support (comfort, therapy, companionship, therapeutic benefits, or to promote emotional well-being) are not service animals. A service animal must be specifically trained to do something.
If the animal behaves inappropriately (by disrupting business, behaving aggressively, interfering with other patrons or clients (Say by sniffing them or jumping up on them) or toileting inappropriately then it doesn’t matter whether it is a service dog because you can still exclude it on the basis of “fundamental alteration” or “direct threat”.
When you see a fake certification it is a strong indication that the dog is not a legitimate service dog. People with legitimate service dogs know that certification is not required so long as the dog meets the legal definition. Those who purchase fake certification do so because they, or those they encounter, doubt their dog’s real status and it’s easier to purchase a fake document than to actually get their dog properly trained and evaluated by an expert.
Service dog Registries documentation IDs tags patches and so on are basically worthless. They have no legal standing and are completely meaningless when it comes to determining if a dog is really a service dog.
Misrepresenting any animal as a service or assistance animal (in any way either by simply verbally claiming an animal is a service animal, wearing a service animal vest or cape, using a special harness, leash, tags or by any other means – including using this registry) is a crime and may be punishable by law.
DougH says
These are all great points. But in the end, if a passenger complains uber may deactivate you. You might be in the right, but you might still lose your job.
James says
Some service dogs are not trained; they have a natural ability to sense that a myoclonic seizure is imminent and can notify the person at risk by signaling via a bark, whine, or tugging at a pant leg, etc. up to 20 minutes before symptoms become evident to the person. This “seizure alert” ability is innate and it is hypothesized that befirehand a telltale (no pun) odor or electromagnetic field alteration is emitted that the dog can detect. This ability is useful in that the person subject to seizures can medicate or lie down in advance, thereby preventing onset or injury.
Troy Landrum says
No one wants to refuse service to riders with service animals. However, messes, shedding, if it takes you out of commission, whats Ubers policy to ensure you arent losing time on the road or revenue?
DougH says
The cleaning policy. If the dog leaves a mess, take detailed pictures and request a cleaning fee. It’s also smart to keep a basic cleaning kit in your trunk for dogs and humans.
Hjj says
That won’t cover your down time
Paul Sexton says
Are you sure drivers can’t use allergies to refuse a service animal? When I drove a taxi with a license at the Minneapolis Saint Paul airport, driver’s with a medical reason and a form provided by a doctor were allowed to refuse service animals. I don’t think Uber can require people with a medical problem with canine contact to provide rides to people with dogs under any circumstance.
DougH says
Thanks for the comment Paul. I pulled my info straight from Uber’s site. Here’s a quote: “A driver-partner CANNOT lawfully deny service to riders with service animals because of allergies, religious objections, or a generalized fear of animals.”
I think it sounds overly strict and unreasonable, but that is their stated policy.