Are Dogs Allowed in Trader Joe's?

With over 500 stores dotted across the US, Trader Joe's is a popular grocery store chain. If you have wondered about bringing your dog to Trader Joe's, this article details everything you need to know.

What is the Trader Joe's Dog Policy?

Trader Joe's has a clear-cut policy when it comes to dogs and other pets. As it's a grocery store, only service dogs are allowed inside the store. As per the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), all service dogs are welcome in public spaces with their handler, and establishments must make reasonable accommodations to accommodate them. Service dogs are allowed in malls, restaurants, on public transport, grocery stores, theaters and any other place where the general public is allowed access.

However, pet dogs and emotional support animals (ESAs) are not allowed in Trader Joe's stores due to sanitization concerns. This is often a common policy in grocery stores like Walmart and Costco or other establishments that sell food, like Starbucks.

Are Dogs Allowed in Trader Joe's?

Only service dogs are allowed inside Trader Joe's stores. They must perform a disability-related task for their handler. Unfortunately, ESAs are not permitted inside stores.

Are Service Dogs Allowed in Trader Joe's?

Yes. As per the ADA, service dogs are welcome in Trader Joe's stores provided they are well-behaved and support their owner with a disability-related function. 

Are Emotional Support Animals Allowed in Trader Joe's?

Unfortunately not. ESAs and pet animals are not allowed inside Trader Joe's stores. While ESAs offer owners incredible support and many therapeutic benefits, they are not necessarily trained to perform a specific function related to the handler's disability.

For example, an ESA might provide an owner with a great deal of comfort and support and help their owner to manage their anxiety. However, unlike a service dog, it might not be specifically trained to remind its owner to take their anxiety medication or alert them to the onset of a panic attack. This is the fundamental difference between service animals and ESAs.

Emotional support animals are however recognized by the Fair Housing Act and obtaining an official ESA letter can ensure that landlords do not unfairly discriminate against you and your ESA.

Are Dog Strollers Allowed in Trader Joe's?

Only if they are a service dog and the stroller is needed for them to successfully perform their disability-related task. No other dogs, even if they are inside a dog stroller, are allowed into the store.

Can Trader Joe's Ask for Proof of a Service Dog?

No, stores cannot legally ask a customer for proof that their animal is a service animal. They can, however, ask the handler two important questions. Firstly, they can ask if the dog is required because of a disability, and secondly, they can ask if the animal can perform a specific task or function in relation to it.

Service dogs are necessary for a wide range of disabilities, including physical, psychiatric, intellectual, and sensory disabilities.

List of Dog-Friendly Stores

While Trader Joe's is not a pet-friendly store (unless you have a service dog), plenty of pet-friendly stores are around. These stores welcome your pup or emotional support animal with open arms.

• Barnes & Noble 
• Bass Pro Shops
• Home Depot
• Lush
• Old Navy 
• PetSmart
• Pottery Barn
• Urban Outfitters

Online Psychiatric Service Dog Training with Pettable

Psychiatric service dogs are also recognized by the ADA and support their owners in navigating a wide range of psychiatric disabilities, including depression, OCD, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, schizophrenia and Bipolar.

Pettable offers a comprehensive online training course for owners who want to equip themselves and their pups with professional training solutions for psychiatric disabilities. Join our online, self-paced course with a certified trainer and receive your official certificate on completion of the 15 lessons.

Fill out our quick assessment, and we will determine your unique PSD training needs. If, for some reason, you are not satisfied with the course within seven days, we will refund you entirely.

It's the no-stress solution to obtaining your PSD certification and gaining the confidence and skills needed to train your pup.

The Takeaway

While Trader Joe's is not pet-friendly, they do welcome service dogs as per the ADA. If you have an ESA, however, it's best to leave them at home if you're planning a trip to Trader Joe's or ask a trusted friend or pet sitter to watch over them.

If you're looking to enhance your dog training knowledge and teach your pup valuable tasks so that it can help you manage your psychiatric disability, chat with us about our PSD program or sign up today. We can also help you to get an official ESA letter and connect you with a licensed mental health practitioner operating in your state.