The Northern Ontario ridesharing service Uride is donating 10 per cent of all proceeds from Jan. 25 rides to animal shelters in the communities in which it operates.
Dubbed ‘Ride for a Reason', it’s an initiative under the Thunder Bay company’s Good Deeds Program.
Uride, which currently operates in 20 communities across Canada, said its mandate is twofold: the donation benefits animals directly, but it also encourages potential pet owners to consider adopting from shelters, helping to reduce the incidence of homeless animals.
The company said it would also cover the adoption fee for a featured animal at each location.
Uride’s CEO, Cody Ruberto, said the initiative was inspired by a recent personal experience.
“Last year, I found a cat wandering the street in a terrible condition. I took the cat home, wiped open its eyes that had been sealed shut, gave it food and water, and watched it spring back to life. Afterwards, I helped find a family that could take great care of it. I still consider that experience a personal highlight of 2023,” Ruberto said in a news release.
“Animals deserve kindness, and we're happy to play a role in supporting local organizations that find these animals homes and long-term families.”
In Northern Ontario, Uride operates in the five major cities: North Bay, Sault Ste. Marie, Sudbury, Thunder Bay, and Timmins.
Recipient organizations in each of those communities include: North Bay and District Humane Society, Sault Ste. Marie Humane Society, Greater Sudbury Animal Shelter, Thunder Bay Humane Society, and Timmins Humane Society.
After using similar ridesharing services in other markets, Ruberto launched Uride in 2017, with the primary objectives of reducing impaired driving and providing reliable transportation to underserviced markets.
The Uride app is available for download on Apple and Android devices.
