Are Dogs Allowed In Costco Stores?

Costco has a lot to offer its warehouse club members who have pets. It sells food and other supplies and accessories for them, like toys, grooming tools, beds, and cat scratchers. The stores also have pharmacies where customers can fill medications for their animals. It even offers a discount on pet insurance that members can buy through an outside company. But when it comes to letting people bring their dogs with them when they do their shopping, the door is closed to their furry best friends.

The policy isn't actually up to Costco. Because edible products are available on the premises, both to take home, like its famously cheap rotisserie chicken, and in the food court, where the iconic $1.50 hot dog and soda combo is the best menu item, pets aren't allowed in. Health codes across the U.S. at all levels of government don't allow animals into indoor places where food is being sold. That's why you also can't bring them into grocery stores or other food-selling large retailers, such as Walmart and Target.

The one exception everywhere, including Costco, is service dogs, which must be admitted at places open to the public under the Americans with Disabilities Act. That also applies to restaurants, where animals are usually banned indoors — although some states and localities allow customers' pooches in their outdoor areas. However, restaurants are not required to let service dogs eat inside or sit in a chair. The ADA-dictated admission requirement doesn't cover emotional support animals, as they aren't trained to do any related work; they just give emotional comfort, as their name states.

When someone comes to Costco or another establishment with an animal and employees have any suspicion that it might not be legitimately covered under the ADA, they are permitted to ask two questions. The person can first be asked if it is a service dog, and then what tasks it has been trained to do. However, they can't ask for any kind of proof or question anyone about their disability. If someone is caught lying about it, they can be punished with fines in nearly half of the U.S. states.

Service animals also aren't required to wear a vest or ID that shows their status, either in stores or anywhere else, although many often do. Additionally, places may only ask them to leave or refuse entry if the dog is acting improperly, such as being aggressive with other people, or isn't potty trained.

The good news for pet owners is that there are many non-food-selling stores that do allow dogs, including big names like Home Depot, Michael's, Nordstrom, and L.L. Bean, and of course, pet stores usually do too. It's better to go at a time when the retailer isn't too busy, so the animal isn't overstimulated, and it might not be a good idea overall for a dog who's more anxious, wary in unfamiliar surroundings, or doesn't follow the owner's directions well. They are also usually required to be on a leash.