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If you’re a dog owner who likes to take your furry friend out and about, you may have wondered whether they can go into the store with you. Different companies have different policies regarding allowing animals inside their establishments. Whether or not your dog is a service animal may depend on where they’re allowed to join you.
Sam’s Club doesn’t allow pets to enter their store locations, but they do allow service animals to accompany handlers during their shopping experience. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) defines service animals as any animal trained to work or perform tasks to assist an individual with a disability.
Since trained service dogs are not considered pets, but rather medical tools for managing a disability, they aren’t subject to policies that restrict pets in public places. Sam’s Club honors this and happily welcomes trained service dogs into their stores.
Sam’s Club recognizes the important role of service animals in the lives of people with disabilities. The Sam’s Club Service Animal Policy welcomes service animals that are individually trained to assist a person with a disability. Sam’s Club acknowledges that not all service animals wear a vest or harness that identifies them as such, and that this doesn’t disqualify them from being a service dog.
Yes, trained service dogs (and other trained service animals) are the only type of dogs allowed in Sam’s Club. Pets are not considered service animals unless they have been specifically trained to perform tasks that directly support a person with a disability.
Emotional support animals (ESAs) aren’t considered service animals and therefore are not allowed in Sam’s Club. ESAs play a vital role in the lives of the humans they support, but the difference between an emotional support animal and a service animal all comes down to training. Service animals have been individually trained to support their handlers, and emotional support animals provide a sense of calm and comfort simply with their presence.
Dogs on a leash are allowed in Sam’s Club if they meet the requirements of being a service animal. If your service dog or other service animal is joining you on a trip to Sam’s Club or any other public place, they should be able to maintain behavior learned in public access training, an essential part of training a service dog who will assist their handler in public.
Strollers are sometimes used by those who want to bring their dog or other loved pet along on errands, but may not be able to manage them on a leash or harness for one reason or another. Whether your dog is in a stroller, on a leash, or in your handbag, they are only permitted in Sam’s Clubs if they are a trained service animal.Â
Legally, no business is allowed to ask for proof of training or any type of license of individuals with a service dog. They also can’t ask about the specifics or the extent of a person’s disability. Furthermore, it’s part of the Sam’s Club policy that associates are informed of these laws and will not ask individuals for documentation for either their disability or their service animal.Â
While Sam’s Club is a store that only welcomes service dogs, there are a whole host of stores that welcome all dogs to accompany their owners. Some stores even provide water or treats for furry friends. When taking your dog out and about in public places they should be able to maintain good behavior and navigate well on a leash. Here is a list of 15 dog-friendly stores where your trusty pup can join you.
Ready to make your dog a service dog? Start with the proper training from Pettable. Our online programs for training a psychiatric service dog are led by expert certified trainers. Each lesson is designed to guide you and your dog through the training process step by step, from the comfort of home. Start by taking our 3-minute assessment to get matched with a health professional, and be on your way to service dog training completion in no time.
April Brightman is a freelance writer and outdoor enthusiast with a passion for traveling and hiking with her rescue pup, Marley. She's written for pet-centered sites like Outward Hound, as well as outdoorsy adventure brands like BearVault, Hipcamp, and Explorer Chick.
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