How to Take your Pet With You in the City
How do you take your pets to Ocean Beach or Golden Gate Park or to your vet if you don’t have a car?
As a pet lover I don't mind seeing pets on the bus. If I see someone covertly holding their chihauhau inside their jacket during rush hour my biggest concern is the comfort and emotional wellbeing of the pet. But for those who have allergies or simply aren't pet people they could have problems with pet transportation, especially those times when we all feel like sardines wedged between the seats. Below I've compiled the regulations of the San Francisco Bay Area public transportation agencies as well as the policies for ride sharing services.
Muni allows pets but requires you pay a fare for them and has restrictions for large pets – those that are not in a carrier. Large pets are allowed during non peak hours and only 1 to a car. See official rules here.
Bart has a more liberal policy. BART allows pets free but all pets must be in a carrier except service dogs and they do not specify the number of pets per car or restrictions for peak hours. See rules here.
Golden Gate transit, like BART, requires that pets be in a carrier and there are no limitations for peak or non peak hours, and pets ride free. The official wording from their website is simply:
“Animals are allowed on buses if they are guide dogs, working service, or special-assistant animals. Service animals must be on a leash and under owner's control. Other animals or pets are permitted aboard buses provided they are in, and remain in, approved hand-carried containers.”
Caltrain is simply not pet friendly. No pets are allowed except service dogs. Interestingly this is the only agency that has a clause in their policy regarding service dogs that are in training. See their whole policy here.
In most cases the rules specify keeping your pet in a carrier. So how do you transport your German Shepard, Golden Retriever or other sizable dog when you need to get across the bridge?
Consider ride sharing services such as Uber or Lyft. The policy for both of these organizations indicates that allowing pets is up to the driver’s discretion. Then how do you know if the driver will accept your pet? One Lyft driver I spoke with suggested to call the driver immediately after accepting the ride and ask if they accept pets. For both Lyft and Uber you may cancel within 5 minutes of accepting the ride from the driver and if they do not allow pets in their car then you can try another driver which is better than risking the driver arriving and refusing to let your pet into their car. You could then be charged a $5 cancellation fee. By calling and letting the driver know you have a pet however the driver is more likely to agree to transport both of you as they just prefer not to be surprised when they arrive at your destination.
For more certainty and to schedule a ride ahead of time Yellowcab will definitely transport your pet with you. Just mention you have a pet when you book by phone at 415-333-3333.
Happy travels throughout the city.
