Walmart sells a wide range of items at low prices, including everything you and your family could need for daily life. This includes things like dog food and leashes for your furry family members.
So, Walmart is a great place to buy things for your dog, but are dogs allowed in Walmart? I looked at the policy and did some research, and this is what I found.
Are Dogs Allowed In Walmart In 2022?
The Walmart store policy says that dogs and other pets (cats, birds, rabbits, etc.) are not allowed in the store after 2022. But the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 says that disabled people can bring their service animals (but not emotional support dogs) into Walmart.
So, what are the rules and laws about taking your dog to Walmart?
Read on to learn everything you need to know about Walmart’s policy on bringing dogs inside.
Why Can’t You Bring Your Dog to Walmart?
Dogs and other pets like cats and birds are not allowed in Walmart, mostly because of concerns about food safety and hygiene.
This has to do with the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) food service codes, which say that pets are not allowed in places where food is prepared, like grocery stores and restaurants, for fear of spreading germs.
The FDA says that bringing an animal into a store like Walmart is not clean and could be dangerous to your health.
Also, dogs are not allowed in Walmart for other reasons. Some customers might be allergic to or afraid of dogs, and some dogs might have fleas or leave messes on the floor.
Why is Walmart OK with service dogs?
Walmart lets service dogs in because the company knows how important they are to many vulnerable people who may need their help to do important day-to-day tasks.
Service dogs are also usually better trained and behave better than most people’s pets. So most people think that letting them into the store is safer than letting all dogs in.
What Does a Service Dog Mean?
Walmart uses ADA rules to define a “service dog” as one that has been trained to help a disabled person with day-to-day tasks. For a dog to be considered a service animal, the tasks it does must be directly related to its owner’s disability or disabilities.
Does Walmart allow all service dogs?
Yes! Both the ADA and the FDA say that all service dogs are welcome in Walmart. But there are some exceptions.
For example, if a Walmart employee or manager thinks that a service dog poses a threat to health and safety in the store, they can ask the owner and the dog to leave and ban them from the store for good.
Can Walmart Ask If Your Dog Is A Service Dog?
Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Walmart employees and managers can ask someone who brings a dog into the store if it is a service dog or not.
They can also ask what the dog does and how it does it. However, these are the only two questions they are allowed to ask. Employees and managers will not be able to ask for any kind of documentation to prove that someone has a disability.
Service dogs, on the other hand, often wear brightly colored dog tags, jackets, or leashes. This makes it easier for employees and managers to tell if a dog is a service animal or not.
And in some states, like California, having one of these forms of ID is the law.
What Are The Rules On Bringing Service Dogs Into Walmart?
You can bring your service dog into Walmart, but it has to be well-behaved. There are rules to follow.
First of all, the dog’s owner has to be in charge of it all the time. The dog can’t be left alone or be allowed to bark too much. The dog also can’t be pushed around the store in a cart or stroller, so don’t treat Baxter like he’s your baby!
The FDA says that service dogs are also not allowed in the parts of the store where food is prepared. And a Walmart store or manager can make other parts of the store dog-free if they want to.
Can You Bring an Emotional Support Dog to Walmart?
No, emotional support dogs are not allowed in Walmart. This is because the ADA does not consider emotional support dogs to be service animals. This has something to do with what emotional support animals do for their owners.
Emotional support animals can help people with mental health problems feel better and lessen their symptoms.
Even though a licensed professional will register these animals like service dogs, they do not technically service animals because they don’t help their owners with practical day-to-day tasks.
FDA rules say that you can’t bring a dog into a grocery store in the United States unless it is a service animal.
But you have to leave your dog at home when you go shopping at Walmart, Costco, and Target. You can bring your pet dog into other stores, though.
Dogs are usually welcome in pet stores, home goods stores, boutiques, and even the Apple Store, which is not a big surprise.
Basically, you can bring your dog into a lot of stores that don’t sell or make food. Just look for signs that say “No Dog” before you go in.
Can I leave my dog outside of Walmart?
You can always tie up your dog outside if you have to go into Walmart or any other store that doesn’t allow dogs. But keep in mind that it can be dangerous for your dog if you leave it alone for a long time.
You never know what the weather will do to your dog or who will walk by. If you want to shop at Walmart, the best thing to do is leave your dog at home, unless your dog is a service animal.
If you like pets, you might also be curious about whether or not Walmart sells live fish. Also, if you want to go to other stores, you can read about the pet policies at Costco, Target, Dollar General, and Walgreens.
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