Pet Policy Statistics

We pulled these numbers straight from Dog Accepted’s own verified policy tables — 35 trucking carriers, 26 airlines, 33 hotel chains, 25 apartment operators, 15 assisted living operators, and 17 motel chains researched between July and August 2026. Highlights: 77% of trucking carriers let drivers bring a dog, not one major assisted living operator publishes a company-wide pet policy, and Motel 6 is the only motel chain where pets stay completely free.

Tap a column header to sort. Figures below are computed directly from these datasets — see Methodology.

How many trucking carriers accept dogs?

77.1% of the 35 trucking carriers Dog Accepted researched (27 of 35) let company drivers bring a dog on the road, per our July 2026 verification. Most of the remaining carriers ban pets outright rather than restrict them by breed or size — we found no in-between policy among the carriers we checked. See the full comparison on our trucking companies that allow dogs page.

Do trucking carriers disclose breed or weight limits?

Only 40.7% of the 27 pet-friendly trucking carriers we verified publish a specific breed restriction, and 63.0% state a weight limit, per Dog Accepted’s July 2026 dataset. The rest leave size and breed decisions to a driver’s individual dispatch or safety manager — worth confirming directly before you apply.

What share of major US airlines allow dogs in the cabin?

76.9% of the 26 major US airlines Dog Accepted reviewed (20 of 26) allow a dog in the cabin, while 23.1% (6 airlines) are cargo-only or ban pets entirely, per our July 2026 verification. Carriers like British Airways fly pets as cargo only, not in the cabin — check our airlines that allow big dogs table before booking with a carrier not on this list.

How many pet-friendly hotel chains charge no pet fee?

20.7% of the 29 pet-friendly hotel chains Dog Accepted verified (6 of 29) charge zero pet fee, including Motel 6 and Kimpton Hotels, per our July 2026 dataset. The other 79.3% charge somewhere between $5 and $175 per stay or night, depending on the chain — see the full list on our hotels that accept dogs page.

What’s the average pet fee at a US hotel chain?

Across the 23 pet-friendly hotel chains in our dataset that publish a specific dollar figure, the average works out to $67.77, per Dog Accepted’s July 2026 verification — but that number blends per-night and per-stay charges, so treat it as a range indicator ($5–$175), not a rate to budget a trip around. Always confirm the exact charge, and whether it’s nightly or one-time, before you book.

How many apartment companies set pet policy per property instead of company-wide?

53.3% of the 15 apartment operators Dog Accepted verified (8 of 15) explicitly state that pet fees, deposits, or breed rules are set per community rather than one company-wide number, per our August 2026 research. That’s the opposite of trucking and airlines, where a single national policy is the norm — always confirm with the specific property, not just the parent company, on our apartments that accept dogs page.

Which apartment company has no company-wide breed restriction?

Mid-America Apartment Communities (MAA) is the only operator among the 15 Dog Accepted verified with a genuine company-wide “no breed restrictions, no weight limit” policy — just 1 of 15 (6.7%), per our August 2026 dataset. Every other large operator we checked either bans specific breeds outright or leaves the decision to individual properties.

Do assisted living chains publish a company-wide pet policy?

No — 0 of the 14 major assisted living operators Dog Accepted verified publish a single company-wide pet policy, per our August 2026 research. Every chain, including Brookdale, Sunrise, and Atria, sets the weight limit, fee, and final decision at the individual community level. That makes assisted living the least standardized vertical we track — compare operators on our assisted living communities that accept dogs page, then confirm with the specific community.

What dog weight limits do assisted living communities set?

50% of the 14 assisted living operators we verified (7 of 14) have a stated weight limit somewhere in their portfolio, ranging from 15 lbs to 80 lbs — but almost all of those figures are community-level, not chain-wide, per our August 2026 dataset. Oakmont Senior Living is the only operator with a stated company figure: 80 lbs combined for up to two pets.

How many motel chains charge no pet fee?

Just 1 of the 15 motel chains Dog Accepted verified (6.7%) lets pets stay completely free: Motel 6, which allows up to two pets at no charge, per our August 2026 dataset. Red Roof Inn comes close — the first pet is free, $15/night for each additional. Among chains that publish figures, fees span $4 to $105, and most franchised brands (Super 8, Days Inn, Econo Lodge) leave the exact amount to each location — see the full table on our motels that accept dogs page.

Methodology

Dog Accepted verifies pet policies directly against company sources. Each row on our policy tables carries a confidence tier: Official (found on the company’s own site or FAQ), Secondary (confirmed by 2+ independent sources), or Reported (a single, unverified source). Every number on this page is computed directly from our published datasets — no hand-derived figures.

• Trucking: 35 carriers reviewed (27 accept dogs, 8 don’t), verified July 9, 2026. Tiers: 10 official, 9 secondary, 8 reported.
• Airlines: 26 airlines reviewed (20 allow in-cabin pets, 6 cargo-only or no pets), verified July 10, 2026.
• Hotels: 33 chains reviewed (29 accept dogs, 4 don’t), verified July 10, 2026.
• Apartments: 25 operators researched; 15 published with a verifiable source, 10 dropped for lack of one rather than guessed. Verified August 1, 2026. Tiers: 11 official, 2 secondary, 2 reported.
• Assisted living: 15 operators researched; 14 published, 1 dropped for lack of a verifiable source. Verified August 1, 2026. Tiers: 2 official, 7 secondary, 5 reported.
• Motels: 17 chains researched; 15 published, 2 dropped (no real chain-level policy exists). Verified August 1, 2026. Tiers: 2 official, 13 secondary.

Policies change. Every row on our tables links to its source — confirm directly with the company before you book, apply, or sign a lease.

How to cite this page

Dog Accepted, “Pet Policy Statistics,” acceptdogs.com/pet-policy-statistics/, verified July–August 2026. Please link back to this page if you use these figures.