If you’re a dog walker or pet sitter and have a car or van then adding a pet taxi service is a great way of growing your business. You might be wondering how to start a pet taxi service in which case look no further – here’s all you need to know!
Caveat : this information relates to the UK in terms of laws so do check what the pet taxi regulations are in your own country if you’re considering adding this service.
What is a pet taxi service?
Whether you call it a “pet taxi service” or “professional pet chauffeur” the job is the same, and you’ll be using a car or van to transport a pet from one place to another.
It can be hard to take pets on public transport and normal taxis will often refuse to take animals on board. Also, most pet owners would prefer someone who is used to animals to take their fur babies from A to B.
It therefore makes sense to use a pet professional to chauffeur pets around, as they are specialists and will know how to care for animals en route.
Who uses a pet taxi service?
There are lots of different reasons why people would need to use a pet taxi service. Here are just some common examples but there are many more!
- Collecting pets from the airport when they’ve been imported.
- Trips to and from the vets.
- Collecting a new puppy or kitten from the breeder.
- Moving house, and taking the pet to their new home.
- Taking pets to a grooming or pamper session.
- Taking them to visit a friend or family member for pet sitting when the owner goes on holiday.
- Transport to and from kennels.
Many owners don’t own a car or have a busy job, so rely on pet chauffeurs whenever their beloved pets need to travel somewhere.
How much could you charge for a pet taxi service?
Prices vary depending where you live, but typically a pricing structure would include:
- Cost of a one-way journey up to (say) 5 miles.
- Cost per additional mile.
- Cost of a return journey up to 5 miles.
- Waiting time hourly fee.
- Cost for additional pets.
- Surcharges for last minute bookings.
- Surcharges for unsociable hours, e.g. weekends, bank holidays.
It’s entirely up to you how much to charge for each aspect of your service. It might be worth calling a few local pet taxi services to find out how much they charge, although we would never advise trying to undercut them. That’s a sure-fire way of undervaluing your services and the expertise you bring to the table.
UK Pet Taxi prices
In the UK, prices start from £11 for a one-way journey up to 5 miles and £2.50 for additional pets. The extra mileage charge is usually between 35p and 60p per mile. Some pet taxi services simply charge per hour, with prices starting from £25/hour.
US Pet Taxi prices
In the US, a typical price would be $29 for a one-way trip and $50 for a return trip. Additional miles cost between $0.75 and $1. Additional pets are $5 and a wait charge could be from $16 per 30 minutes.
How to start a pet taxi service
It’s important that your pet taxi service is legal and follows all regulations for your location.
For short journeys (for example, taking a dog to the groomer), you won’t need a licence to drop a dog at a groomer. But for longer journeys, over 65km, you will need a pet transport licence. You can get this from Defra. Read more about this here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/animal-welfare. Either way, you are not allowed to carry the owner – for that you will need a private hire licence.
Health and safety is key, so the vehicle you plan to use needs to be safe and secure. Consider whether to install a crate or guard in your car or van. You’ll need comfortable bedding for the animals to lay on.
Depending on the length of the journey you may need to take regular breaks for the pet to stretch their legs and maybe go to the toilet. Make sure you have plenty of water to keep the pet hydrated, and food if it’s a long journey.
It’s important to understand that pet transportation is regulated. You must have the appropriate licence, vehicle and insurance.
Some local authorities and trading standards offices have additional requirements so speak to your local officer to be sure you are operating on the right side of the law.
How to take bookings for a pet taxi service
Running any pet business is really easy using Pet Sitter Dashboard, and pet taxi services are no exception!
Pet Sitter Dashboard includes a booking system, invoices that you can send customers, bookkeeping features and so much more.
All you need to do is set up the taxi services you’d like to offer and then you’re all set! We have recorded some tutorials which will get you started really quickly, and most are only 5-10 minutes long.
You can sign up for free using this link
Here is an introduction to Pet Sitter Dashboard:
How do you find customers who need a pet taxi service?
There are many ways of advertising your pet taxi service. For example, working with local vets, groomers and kennels can be a nice way to grow your business and mutually beneficial.
We’ve written an article about how to advertise your business for free which includes lots of tips to help you hit the ground running.
Set up a free Google Business account and anyone who searches for this locally will be able to find you. Once you’re up and running ask customers for reviews, which you can then share on social media to build trust with potential new clients.
If you want to attract more customers to grow your business then join Pet Sitter Club. As well as free documents for your business you’ll have access to a huge library of information including:
- Done-for-you marketing including email templates and social media posts
- How to use Facebook groups to attract new customers
- How to advertise for free online
- How to hire team members
- How to start a blog
- Tips for raising prices
Find out more about Pet Sitter Club here.
Get Set Grow
Free news and advice for dog walkers, cat sitters and other pet business owners.
Small original articles which only take a minute to read.
Subscribe for free and start growing your business today.
Get Set, Grow!
📣 Do you need to attract more customers for your pet business? Join Pet Sitter Club for access to tons of resources specifically for pet businesses like yours, including: