Today is National Dog Day, a fitting date for the launch of Lyft Pet Rides, a feature that aims to connect those who transport pets with drivers who are happy to accommodate them…
National Dog Day
Today is the 20th National Dog Day.
Founded in 2004 by an animal rights activist, author and pet lifestyle expert,
Colleen Paige, National Dog Day celebrates all breeds, mixed breeds and purebreds, and aims to raise public awareness of the many dogs that need to be rescued each year, whether from public shelters, rescue centers, or purebred shelters.National Dog Day honors family pets and dogs who work selflessly to save lives, protect us, and provide comfort. Dogs put their lives on the line every day—protecting our families and homes, their law enforcement partner, their blind companion, the disabled, our freedom and safety, detecting bombs and drugs, and helping to find and rescue victims of accidents and tragedies.
Lyft Pet Rides
Not all drivers can or want to take pets, so if you need a ride with your furry friend, you run the risk of being turned down. Lyft says it’s launching Pet Rides today to ensure a suitable driver is booked.
As part of our ongoing commitment to make rides more inclusive and tailored to the needs of our riders, Lyft is excited to announce Pet Rides, a feature that has been highly requested by riders and drivers. We’re launching it just in time for National Dog Day. This new feature allows riders to be matched with drivers who are comfortable bringing pets in their car. Riders pay a $4 fee plus tax, included in the upfront fare, and drivers receive the full fare for each pet-carrying ride.
Starting today, Pet Rides are available nationwide, offering pet owners a seamless and stress-free experience. Whether you’re heading to the vet, the park, or just out for a day of errands, you can now take your beloved pet with you knowing they’ll be assigned to a driver ready to get them to their destination!
When booking a ride, simply select the “pet” option in the Lyft app and you will be assigned a driver who will welcome your pet. Currently, passengers are allowed to bring one cat or dog. The pet must be either in a carrier, on its owner’s lap on a blanket, or at their feet.
Uber already offers this feature.
Would have prevented the drama surrounding “Tux, the missing cat”
Engadget notes that this feature could have prevented the saga of the missing cat Tux. A driver drove off at the end of the trip with the passenger’s cat on board and apparently left the pet behind, denying any knowledge of it.
A Lyft driver in Austin, Texas, was accused of speeding away with Tux (in a carrier) in the back seat of the car and ignoring Pandey’s pleas while banging on the window. The driver responded to Pandey’s in-app messages and claimed he did not have the cat (…) Tux was eventually found under a staircase about a mile from the drop-off point.
Apparently the driver had something against the cat’s presence, although it is completely unclear why he would keep Tux on board.
Photo: Lyft
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