Can I Bring My Dog To Walmart? No, You Can’t
Can you bring your dog to Walmart? Read and find out why you can’t shop with your beloved dog in Walmart, and which stores allow pets in.
Dogs are an essential part of so numerous people’s lives. More and more of us treat our pets as dependable companions. Thus, it’s not uncommon to see people take their dogs with them just about everywhere. This includes eating out and shopping. So can you bring your dog to Walmart? The answer is no, but if you have a service dog, you can take it to Walmart.
Are Dogs Allowed In Walmart?
Some Walmart managers may allow the odd dog into their store. Some have no qualms about letting a client peruse the aisles accompanied by their furry stylish friend. Still, this is against company policy.
Other guests have the right to report a client with their dog inside Walmart to store management which can lead to the dog owner being ejected from the store.
The same rules apply to all dogs except service dogs. This includes a small dog that you may carry or push in a stroller, an emotional support dog, or indeed a puppy dog. You can check out more information we have on whether you can bring your dog to Costco.
Why Aren’t Dogs Allowed In Walmart?
While service animals are allowed into Walmart stores( for obvious reasons), there are also some valid arguments why all other dogs are prohibited from entering. One of the main reasons is down to health and contamination risks.
Certain health codes are in place for premises that vend and serve food. These canons forbid any animals from entering the store. The FDA’s food service codes state that creatures are unsanitary and, thus, a risk to health inside stores where food is served or sold.
While health is the biggest concern, there are some other reasons why Walmart bans dogs. These include:
- The possibility of some dogs having fleas or ticks
- Some individuals are fearful of dogs
- Some people are allergic to dog hair so shoppers could suffer a reaction
- The possibility that dogs can contaminate Walmart’s food
- Not all dog owners can properly and safely control their dogs in a constricted environment
- A dog can become a hazard in the busy aisles of Walmart, even if they are leashed
- The possibility of even the best-trained dogs making a mess on the store’s floor
Walmart’s dog policy errs on the side of caution. To prevent any accidents or health issues, the company has enforced this policy to ensure the safety of its staff and guests.
Why Are Service Dogs Allowed In Walmart?
A dog that has been individually trained to do work or perform tasks for an individual with a disability. The task performed by the dog must be directly related to the person’s disability.
As an illustration, a service dog may be trained to support someone with diabetes. The dog may be trained to alert their owner when its blood sugar reaches too high or too low a level. Someone differently with epilepsy may have a service dog that’s trained to describe if they’re going to have a seizure. The dog will also help its owner stay safe if a seizure does do.
Walmart associates may ask if a dog is a service animal when they come into the store. numerous service dogs wear a bright vest or harness, although, under the ADA, they don’t have to do so.
Can I Take My Emotional Support Dog to Walmart?
Any dog that’s an emotional support, comfort, therapy, or companion dog isn’t a service dog. They haven’t been specifically trained to carry out a task that’s related to helping someone with a disability.
This means they don’t qualify as service animals under the ADA, so they wouldn’t be allowed in a Walmart store.
Bear in mind that some states do have laws that occasionally allow emotional support animals into public places. You might want to check your original area, but indeed if these laws are in place, they may not allow your emotional support dog to enter a Walmart store if they have the signage that says that these dogs aren’t allowed.
What Is The Walmart Dog Policy?
“Service animals are welcome. No Pets. Contact your local health department if you see an untrained pet where food is sold. Non-service animals are not permitted in grocery stores under applicable food safety regulations.
Service animals are individually trained to work to perform tasks for a person with disabilities. Comfort or emotional support animals are not service animals.
We apologize for any inconvenience.“
What About Taking My Dog To Walmart In A Stroller?
You may have seen people using dog strollers in recent years. This has led numerous to believe it’s okay to take their dog into Walmart, as long as it’s in a stroller.
This simply isn’t the case. According to Walmart’s pet policy, you’re banned from bringing your dog in a stroller at all times. We’ll repeat this again: only service dogs are permitted to enter Walmart stores.
We understand why some dog owners may feel this is illegal in the case of a stroller. One argument is that dogs in strollers are unable to make a mess on the store’s floor. They may not scare people who are afraid of dogs either. Furthermore, the threat of them contaminating any Walmart food is significantly reduced due to being secure inside a stroller.
On the other side of the coin, people are still likely to suffer reactions if they’re allergic to dogs, and the likelihood of food contamination is still possible.
Are There Any Stores That Do Allow Dogs In?
Despite having a no-dogs rule, Walmart, and many other well-known stores allow dogs inside.
Petsmart
Seeing how it’s a store with the word “pets” in the name, it probably isn’t surprising that All dogs are welcome inside PetSmart’s facilities. There are no additional policies that you need to be concerned about aside from the requirement that all dogs enter Petsmart on a leash and with current vaccination records.
Bed, Bath, And Beyond
Dogs are welcome inside the retail space because Bed, Bath, and Beyond does not produce or market any food goods. You can freely browse the store with your dog by your side, but it’s not quite as pet-friendly as Petsmart, where there are treats and toys around every corner.
Home Depot
No matter who you are, you will probably visit Home Depot at least a few times a year because it is one of the largest home improvement retailers worldwide, and you are welcome to bring your dog along.
Home Depot only requires you to keep your dog on a leash while inside the store, similar to Petsmart and Bed, Bath, and Beyond.
Nordstrom
There are several department stores that permit dogs inside, with Nordstrom probably being the most well-known of the lot. It’s a store that has been open to dogs for several decades now and will, in all likelihood, continue to do so. A final reminder: make sure your dog is always on a leash.
Dogs are not permitted in Walmart stores, but this does not imply that other well-known national retailers have the same policy.
Here are some of the animal policies for the most popular high-profile stores in the US:
- The Apple Store
- Tractor Supply
- Bass Pro Shops
- Michaels
- L.L. Bean
- Petco
- Lowes
- Pottery Barn
- TJ Maxx
- Barnes & Noble
Can You Leave Your Dog Outside Walmart?
You can always tie up your dog outside if you must enter Walmart (or any other establishment with a no-dog policy). But keep in mind that leaving your dog unattended for a long time can be harmful to the animal.
It’s impossible to predict how the weather will affect your dog or who might pass by them. Unless, of course, your dog is a service animal, it is best to leave your dog at home if you want to go shopping at Walmart.
What Are Service Dogs?
Service dogs support people with disabilities in the same way that therapy dogs do. A service dog is necessary for people with mobility problems, mental illness, social anxiety disorder, or post-traumatic stress disorder.
There are different kinds of service dogs, from big dogs to small ones, depending on the situation. After completing specialized training, dogs are awarded certificates.
Other unique commands that will guarantee good behavior must also be taught to the dogs. Dogs can be trained by diabetics to recognize minute variations in blood sugar levels. Some dogs can assist the blind in navigating stairways and crossing the street.
FAQs
Is It Okay to Take a Small Dog into Walmart?
No matter what size your dog is. You cannot bring a dog into Walmart, regardless of size—whether it’s a massive Bernese mountain dog or a sweet little pug. Rules are rules!
No dog, regardless of size or stature, is permitted inside Walmart unless it is a service animal, according to the company’s dog policy. And don’t pretend that your little dog is a service dog. In general, small dogs are not service or guide dogs, so if you see one in a Walmart store, it shouldn’t have been there to begin with.
Are Dogs Allowed in Walmart Carts?
No. Only service dogs—who must be trained to carry out specific tasks and functions—are permitted in Walmart stores. A trained service dog sitting in a grocery cart would be unusual.
Are Dogs on Leashes Allowed in Walmart?
Certainly, but only if they’re service animals. Even if they’re on a leash, pets are not permitted inside Walmart.
Are Cats Allowed on Walmart?
Walmart recognizes the significant role that service animals play in many of its customers’ lives and welcomes them in our stores as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Pets are not permitted in any of our shops.
Conclusions
While bringing our furry friends along with us when we go to Walmart would make shopping trips more lively and delightful, the reality is that we can’t do that. Maybe Walmart will change its policy on dogs at some point, but the chances of that happening are slim so long as they continue to prepare and sell food products.
In the meantime, there are other stores that we can take our dogs to, so not being able to take them to Walmart isn’t the end of the world by any means!
