With one tap, on-demand car service app Whisk now connects pet owners to nearby available drivers who will provide transportation for them and their pets.
Whisk CEO Michael Ibrahim remembers when Bafana, his beloved Ridgeback, broke his leg after being hit by a bicyclist in the city. "Our elevator was broken so we fire-carried our 60-pound puppy up and down eight flights of stairs and 20 blocks to the vet. It was nearly impossible to find a cab on the street that would welcome Bafana. Since then, I couldn't wait to launch a car-finder for pets as another way Whisk serves New Yorkers' everyday needs."
Upon opening the Whisk app, riders can select the pet icon to see nearby pet-friendly drivers in real time. Once 'Ride Now' is selected, a pooch- and cat-loving driver will be on the way! There is a $10 fee for pet rides, waived for the first two rides for each new customer until August 31 by registering with either the code WOOF or the code MEOW.
"Opinions differ on how big of a pet to allow, but everyone agrees Bafana is too friendly to turn away – so she became the benchmark. Luckily, she is putting on weight, so our affiliated drivers will take pets up to 85 pounds," said Ibrahim. The service is not limited to dogs, though drivers will have treats on hand for their pup passengers.
Whisk wants to take pets all over the city. The drivers love dogs, cats and other furry animals – but ask that common sense rules apply. Even the friendliest animals have claws that can damage seats, so pets should be kept in a cage, on the floor or on the provided blanket on the back seat. Drivers may refuse a ride if a pet is excessively dirty or if they feel a poorly restrained animal endangers them or their vehicles.
With nearly 3,000 cars already under management across the five boroughs, Whisk is quickly becoming a sought-after app for its industry-friendly platform; consumer-friendly interface, pricing and real-time control; and corporate accessibility. Rather than competing to hire drivers away from other businesses, Whisk aligns with existing black car and livery companies in the city to provide the technology and operational processes for them to better serve corporate and retail riders.
