The dog challenge: How to rent a pet-friendly car
While ride-sharing is common in a tech-driven world, dogs aren't always welcome
“I don’t care about a coffin or an urn. Bury me in my car!” This was a common comment I (jokingly) made to my mother. I loved my car. I marched into a dealership on foot and zoomed out with the exact make and model of a car I knew I was going to buy several months before I got there. After paying the car note off several years ago, I planned on keeping that car until the wheels fell off—and they almost did. It fell apart all at once. After 15 years, I finally gave in and sold my car.
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While I fully intended to make some extra cash by renting out my parking spot (and it’s now a legal battle over Limited Common Element rental rights), there has been one upside: I lost 10 pounds in the past 30 days simply from walking to the grocery store instead of driving. (I’ve also become a beach bum and my dog loves running through the sand, so I’m nailing that weight loss journey for both of us.)
With every downside comes an upside, but there’s another obstacle I never considered before handing over the keys to my second car. When I sold my first car shortly after graduating from college, I lived in an equally convenient neighborhood to shop and hang out in.
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At that time though, I was dog-less. For four years straight, I jumped on buses, el trains, Metra trains and rented cars when I needed to, and walked about 75% of the time. But after car no. 2, I realize I now need to reevaluate things that weren’t an issue before:
Should carless dog owners find a closer veterinarian?
Will ride-sharing service drivers allow dogs in their cars?
Why do so many independent car rental apps ban dogs?
I chose a dog who is not small enough for a carrier, so how do I travel for long stretches of time on public transportation?
Recommended Read: “Do you REALLY need an emotional support animal letter? ~ Get familiar with local hangouts before paying for the ESA letter”
For car owners, these are questions and concerns that aren’t on your radar until you no longer own a car. For the past year, I’d stroll right out the door and my Hound mix would beat me to my own car. I opened the back door. She leaped inside and flopped down on a blanket in the back seat. I securely wrapped the leash around a seat belt, and off we went to the park, to family members’ homes, to the vet, to the grocery store and everywhere else.