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:
Lindsay Barrios says
I recently rode with lyft and mentioned that I was going to pick up my dog (my ex-husband and I kinda have “joint custody” thing going with the dog). He is not a service animal so he is not as trained as one but he is well trained. Mostly he sits on the floor and just chills. I told him and he claimed I didn’t and couldn’t follow directions and ended up throwing me out of the car in a random parking lot. I then called uber, I did the same thing mentioning I was getting my dog which was not a problem. He even let me hold him in the seat. My dog weighs less then 15 pounds, just got vaccinated and is on good treatment for fleas and things so it shouldn’t be a problem. If they don’t want to take the dog, after you let them know they need to tell you before you are more than halfway to your destination and strand you in the parking lot of a closed store at night.
DougH says
Sounds like a bad experience. It’s likely that the driver wasn’t ok with the animal at all, and chose to react halfway through the ride instead of cancelling toward the beginning. Next time, you could try to message or call the driver right after you are matched with them to let them know you have a dog.
Margaret McLaughlin says
What about transporting a rabbit in a cage. I wish Uber had a pet friendly app as I realise some drivers would be allergic to certain animals and some are not.
DougH says
I think most drivers would be OK with a rabbit in a cage as long as it was well secured with no chance of anything spilling from the cage. You should also call as soon as you’re matched with a driver and let them know your situation.
Elana Renee Graley says
What about cats? My mother has a broken neck and sometimes cannot drive & I was wondering if I brought towels to put on the seat. If it wasn’t life threatening I’d put one/both in their carriers which have towels inside even tho I’d still bring one to put underneath just to be extra courteous. I’m worried about life or death situations where I’d want to be holding my kitty, wrapped up in a towel, with one for the seat too. People can be more prejudiced against cats for whatever reason even though they do waaaay less damage than dogs?
DougH says
A cat in a carrier would likely be ok with most drivers, but they are not obligated to take non-service animals. A cat outside of a carrier probably wouldn’t be ok with many drivers. It’s always nice to call after you request your ride and let the driver know you have a cat.
Sharla says
I’m moving apartments now, and I told an uber man can I bring my dog, he sed if it wS a service dog and I sed yes she is. But he refused to take me to my new house. So we had to leave the dog in our old apartment for the night. He was so rude, he was yelling g at me at 1st, but it’s ok, cuz the damage is done. I hope i never have that driver again.
DougH says
Drivers aren’t obligated to take an animal unless it’s a service dog. In the future, cancel the ride and request another one. Many drivers are ok with taking dogs. It’s not good to lie about your dog being a service animal because that causes problems for people with real service animals.
Philip Kirschner says
Under current DOJ language a service dog requires no driver notification. And if I am blown off I always report and file with local livery regulators as well. Only question you can ask is that a service dog and what task he provides.
Ryan Wiggles says
Friend was deactivated when he refused a lady with 3 dogs who claimed they were service dogs. The dogs were aggressive towards him and he comes from a country where dogs eat people. Also religiously the dogs saliva is considered extremely dirty and a single drop will require through cleaning . Not nice uber. Partners is just another name for servant
Barbara says
A lady lied and said i wouldnt pick her up because she had a dog.I drove for Uber 3 years 6000 trips and there was no lady and no dog where i was but my account got deactivated.
April Moore says
If a driver has a service dog can the driver bring their service dog to work?
DougH says
I’ve never heard of that before, so you should contact Uber. I imagine you’d be allowed to
Dawn Blythe says
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.