Animal Welfare Professionals

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  • 1.  U Transport Uber for Business

    Posted 05-03-2024 06:03 AM

    Hi there

    I am wondering  whether anyone has experience with U Transport Uber for Business.  https://opendoorconsults.org/transportation/

    I have had difficulty learning more about the program from Open Door Consults.  I wonder whether businesses receive a discount for using this service or is this simply a bookkeeping service, such that pet owners who need to arrange transport to our medical center or adoption center do not have to pay out of pocket.  

    Any additional information you have is greatly appreciated.  

    Thanks so much

    Matthew

    ----- ----- -----

    #transport

    #pettransport

    Details I have are:

    Multiple barriers, including transportation, affect the ability of pet families to access veterinary care.

    Open Door Veterinary Collective partners with Uber for Business to remove this barrier with U Transport®.

    The program fits organizations of any size and type to offer transportation for pet families in need. From a private veterinary clinic to a large animal shelter, U Transport® gets pets to veterinary care through a customized Uber platform.

    So, how does it work?

    • Organizations fill out an initial interest form below.
    • Open Door will provide you with an easy, step-by-step guide to get set up and be successful.
    • Get connected to a project manager at Uber for Business to troubleshoot any questions.
    • Get your own Uber dashboard and set a budget you want to spend. A small amount can help cover a number of rides. Pay for part or all of a ride for clients. The dashboard makes it easy to track your funds and number of rides to share with your team, donors and grant funders!
    • All the data for each ride (including mileage and expenses) is tracked automatically. Easy reports provide stats at your fingertips.
    • Organizations that sign up to start a U Transport® program and list the program on our free pethelpfinder.org site may be eligible for a small grant to get efforts off the ground.
    • In just a few clicks, you will be on your way!

    #TransfersandTransport

    ------------------------------
    Matthew Krecic, DVM, MS, MBA
    Grant Writer and Manager and Shelter Veterinarian
    PAWS Chicago; Chicago, IL
    mkrecic@pawschicago.org
    ------------------------------


  • 2.  RE: U Transport Uber for Business

    Posted 05-09-2024 10:37 AM
      |   view attached

    Hello Matthew, 

    Thank you for your post and I'd be happy to help.

    Here is some context: Open Door Veterinary Collective (ODVC) collaborated with Uber to set up U Transport which, simply put, is the intermediary to facilitate the set-up of free rides for organizations looking for help with transportation. The unique benefit was that U Transport included having an Uber Project Manager assigned to help organizations get signed up and trained, and also have a point-of-contact at Uber if they ran into roadblocks once booking rides for pet families was under way. 

    The assigned U Transport Project Manager at Uber has since left the company and they have been unable to find a replacement for our program so far. 

    Given that change, we can provide you with an easy step-by-step guide (attached) which you can use to sign up with Uber for Business and book rides right away. 

    The difference is:

    1. ODVC is temporarily not providing any grants to launch your program since part of the grant commitment was ODVC's access to all the dashboard data in real time. You will still be able to track your own data including number of rides, expenses, etc. 
    2. If you still need help and have technical questions, you will need to call the Uber for Business helpline 1-833-305-4871

    I set up the same program at San Diego Humane Society a few years ago and multiple departments are using it now because it is very easy to implement. 

    Please feel free to respond here or email me at geraldine@opendoorconsults.org if you have further questions and I would be happy to support you through the process.

    Have a great day!

    Geraldine



    ------------------------------
    [Geraldine] [D'Silva]
    [Maddie's National Director of Programs & Partnerships]
    [Open Door Veterinary Collective]
    ------------------------------



  • 3.  RE: U Transport Uber for Business

    Posted 05-10-2024 08:09 AM

    Thank you so much for the detailed info ! 



    ------------------------------
    Stella Plit
    President
    Rescue City
    NY
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  • 4.  RE: U Transport Uber for Business

    Posted 05-20-2024 12:15 PM

    Ofcourse! If you are unable to connect to someone at Uber, please feel free to reach out to me directly and I may be able to help you, Stella.

    Our goal is to remove as many roadblocks to make this a smooth process!

    Geraldine



    ------------------------------
    [Geraldine] [D'Silva]
    [Maddie's National Director of Programs & Partnerships]
    [Open Door Veterinary Collective]
    ------------------------------



  • 5.  RE: U Transport Uber for Business

    Posted 05-17-2024 03:37 AM

    Belated thank you, Geraldine, for your detailed response.  Hopefully a dedicated project manager will again be available.  

    I am going to still advocate for registering and see whether PAWS Chicago can receive a grant through another benefactor (or other benefactors) to offset the transportation costs.  We occasionally have pet owners who request transportation to the medical center but that could be costly if need 4 trips--2 roundtrips--in a day (i.e., AM roundtrip and PM roundtrip for pet owners whose pets have same-day spay/neuter surgery). 



    ------------------------------
    Matthew Krecic
    Grant Writer and Manager
    PAWS Chicago
    IL
    ------------------------------



  • 6.  RE: U Transport Uber for Business

    Posted 05-20-2024 12:29 PM

    Hi Matthew, 

    We will post any updates when they happen. Meanwhile, if you are applying for a grant, depending on the potential donor, you could propose a pilot program with 10 rides @$20 per ride for a small grant of $200. Or you could do 50 rides with a grant of $1,000. I am assuming in this case that each ride costs an average of $20 each. Atleast it's a starting point for discussion with your potential donor and you could track the number of requests that come in for assistance with transportation to support your ask.

    Feel free to reach out with any further questions and we can share with the group here. Good luck and I'd love to hear how it goes. 

    Geraldine



    ------------------------------
    [Geraldine] [D'Silva]
    [Maddie's National Director of Programs & Partnerships]
    [Open Door Veterinary Collective]
    ------------------------------



  • 7.  RE: U Transport Uber for Business

    Posted 05-20-2024 01:53 PM

    We were told that in CA Uber does not carry insurance for passengers.

    Does anyone know anything about this?



    ------------------------------
    Roxane Fritz
    Veterinary Program Coordinator
    San Mateo County
    CA
    ------------------------------



  • 8.  RE: U Transport Uber for Business

    Posted 05-20-2024 05:59 PM

    Hi Roxane,

    There is no insurance provided by U Transport, Uber or the drivers. The pets ride under the sole responsibility of the pet family who is liable for any bodily injury or property damage caused to others and their property. 

    Hope  this helps. 

    Geraldine



    ------------------------------
    [Geraldine] [D'Silva]
    [Maddie's National Director of Programs & Partnerships]
    [Open Door Veterinary Collective]
    ------------------------------