Lyft Celebrates National Dog Day by Announcing Pet-Friendly Rides

Monday, August 26th, is National Dog Day, and dog parents everywhere are celebrating their favorite fur babies. Lyft is also celebrating in a big way by launching Pet Mode, which allows pet parents to bring their fur babies with them. This is a highly requested feature from both riders and drivers, and I can't wait to check it out!

Pet rides is part of Lyft's ongoing commitment to making rides more inclusive and tailored to riders’ needs. There are so many pet paw-rents out there that love to take their pets with them everywhere they go, and Lyft is making that happen. Pet rides will match riders with drivers who allow them to bring their pets along. Riders are required to pay a $4 fee plus tax, which is part of the upfront price. It sounds like a good deal to me!

Lyft made the announcement on their website on Monday. “At Lyft, we believe that everyone belongs, and that includes our four-legged family members,” said Audrey Liu, EVP of Rider Experience at Lyft. “With Pet rides, we’re making it easier than ever for pet owners to get where they need to go with their pets.” Pet rides are now available nationwide, and people are excited to try the new service out.

Not only did Lyft roll out the new feature on National Dog Day, but they're also encouraging pet adoption by partnering with local animal shelters and rescue organizations. By adopting from a participating shelter, Lyft riders will receive special promotions and discounts. Grace Coleman, Operations Volunteer at Waggytail Rescue was excited to share this news, "We are thrilled to partner with Lyft to introduce Pet rides. As a foster-based rescue without a physical shelter, this initiative will help our fosters immensely with transporting animals to our events, where they can meet potential adopters,” she went on to say, “We are also dedicated to rehabilitating animals in need, and Pet rides will help us get our fosters to vital vet appointments.” It's a win-win for everybody involved!

Related: Lyft Driver Quit His Job To Start a Taxi Service with His Collie Dog

More About Lyft's New Pet Rides Feature

Lyft's website explained the steps for requesting a Pet ride, and it's ridiculously simple, "Pet rides are designed with pets, their owners, and drivers in mind. When booking a ride, simply select the Pet option in the Lyft app, and a driver will be matched with you who is ready to welcome your pet."

Note that you won't be able to bring more than one fur baby with you at a time, "Currently, riders are allowed to bring one cat or dog along for the ride. The pet must either be in a carrier, on their owner’s lap on a blanket, or at their feet." Lyft also shared that while drivers can opt out of Pet rides, they are required to pick up service animals whether they participate in Pet rides or not.

What a great way to celebrate National Dog Day! I love that they're not gouging people to let their pets come with them; I think $4 is a reasonable fee. I know pet lovers everywhere will be excited to hear about this service, and I'm sure there will be lots of people trying it out as soon as they can!

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