Uber Could Bring You a Car Full of Puppies Next Week
Our tails are already wagging with excitement.
By Carly Okyle •
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
Updated at 3:50 p.m. ET with comments from Uber.
Uber is going to the dogs. Or rather, it's bringing the dogs to you.
On Wednesday, Feb. 3, the ridesharing giant is hosting another one of its UberPuppies events, whereby customers can have drivers deliver puppies to their door for 15 minutes of playtime. The goal is to encourage shelter adoptions.
The initiative -- timed to celebrate Animal Planet's Puppy Bowl -- will take place from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in New York City, according to a memo sent this week by New York-based pet welfare organization Bideawee to its volunteers. The organization, which is providing puppies and volunteers to Uber, will receive a donation for every 15-minute visit booked along with a matching donation from Animal Planet.
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The cost to Uber customers is $30 per visit.
Over the last few years, UberPuppies programs have taken place in U.S. cities such as Baltimore, Cleveland, Los Angeles and Seattle as well as internationally in Egypt, Taiwan and Canada. Uber also has an UberKittens initiative which began in 2013 on National Cat Day, October 29.
The events have proven effective: More than 100 dogs were adopted from last year's Puppy Bowl event, and more than 300 kittens were adopted in 40 cities on Kitten Day, according to Uber spokeswoman Sarah Maxwell.
Customers can't adopt puppies on the spot. The process of adoption is the same as usual for the shelters, meaning it can take some time.
Puppies very busy cuddling near Koramangala :( @Uber_BLR #uberPUPPIES pic.twitter.com/twqUND0BrT
— SchmeksaySammy (@SchmeksaySammy) December 28, 2015
For some customers, the experience can be heartbreaking. "One girl last year in L.A. literally cried when she had to let the dog go," Maxwell recalls.
Bidawee and Animal Planet did not respond to Entrepreneur's request for comment.
Correction: An earlier version of this article misstated the date of the latest UberPuppies event. It will occur on Wednesday, Feb. 3.
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