For Oscar Hernandez, the idea behind Pet Taxi fell into his lap. Or the back seat of his car.
Hernandez spent 12 years in the Army. When he returned home to San Antonio, he realized some of his buddies, who had returned from war, had service or emotional support dogs. But they were having trouble getting their pets to appointments.
He told me many of these retirees do not have cars or even driver’s licenses. Too often, he said, Uber and other taxi services simply won’t always accept pets.
So Hernandez began driving military retirees he knew and their service and emotional support animals to appointments.It didn’t take long for Hernandez, who lives in Terrell Hills, to realize this was a business.
He bought a van and founded Pet Taxi in 2021, with a commitment to transport military veterans and retired law enforcement officers and their fur babies, at no cost. The only requirement is that humans ride with their animals. He told 78209 Magazine that he had several friends who volunteered to drive for Pet Taxi.
For others, Pet Taxi will transport them and their animals at a cost that is keyed to the time and distance of the trip. It is not only dogs that serve as emotional support animals. Indeed, Hernandez said he has transported a support rooster, a snake, and, on one occasion a horse. He borrowed a friend’s trailer to haul that horse.
The formal name for his taxi service is St. Francis Pet Taxi, named after the animal patron saint. He drives many people and their animals for free because he believes giving back to our community is important.
Hernandez earned a master’s degree at UIW, and he is currently working on PhD in strategic communications.
