Can you take your pet grocery shopping in Kentucky? Check your favorite chain’s policy
Millennials are having fewer children or deciding not to become parents at all, and for many, pet adoption is a much more viable, lower-cost alternative.
In the U.S., millennials now account for a third of all pet owners, and almost all American pet owners generally consider their animal companions to be members of their family. More than half consider their pets to be as much a part of their family as a human member, according to a 2023 Pew Research Center study.
With these broad cultural attitudes comes the rise of pet-friendly businesses and workplaces aiming to accommodate pets in hopes of drawing loyal customers or employees.
Given all this, you may be wondering whether you can generally bring your dog along on errands, to the grocery store, for example. While grocery stores generally don’t allow pets, they make exceptions for service animals, as required by Kentucky statute and federal law.
However, what counts as a service animal isn’t always obvious given that service animals assist with a wide variety of disabilities. Here’s a basic primer on what’s generally considered to be a service animal, plus, how Lexington grocery stores are likely to enforce their policies on pets.
What is and is not considered a service animal?
Under the federal Americans with Disabilities Act, a service animal is defined as a dog trained to perform a certain task or job for a person with a disability.
That job could be reminding a person with depression to take their medicine, detecting the onset of a seizure and then helping the person to stay safe or alerting when a diabetic is experiencing high or low blood sugar levels, to name a few examples. Whatever the disability, the animal must be trained to perform a certain task related to that person’s disability.
It is not sufficient for an animal to provide comfort simply by being with a disabled person to be considered a service animal. According to ADA.gov, emotional support animals are not considered service animals “because they have not been trained to perform a specific job or task.”
That said, state and local governments may have laws that allow people to take their ESAs into public places, though Kentucky’s law seems to largely mirror the ADA.
Contrary to some popular misconceptions, service dogs are not required to wear vests, nor are they required to be certified or registered under the ADA. People who use service animals are also not required to carry papers documenting their service animal.
Additionally, a service animal is not always a dog. According to the ADA National Network, which is federally funded and offers guidance on implementing the law, more contemporary regulations make a provision for miniature horses as service animals.
In this case, the horse would be subject to the same rules that apply to dogs; it must be under its owner’s control, for example.
What are Kentucky store policies on having pets in the store?
Grocery chains with locations in Lexington and Central Kentucky generally accommodate service animals, but not pets.
Reached via email, a Kroger spokesperson stated, “Kroger follows federal ADA guidelines for service animals to ensure a safe and full, fresh, and friendly shopping and workplace experience.”
Walmart “welcomes” service animals as defined by the ADA.
“We do not allow pets in our stores,” Walmart’s website states.
A Trader Joe’s spokesperson reached via email confirmed the chain allows service animals in its stores, but stated, “We do not allow pets in our stores.” Whole Foods has a similar policy when it comes to service animals. Meijer did not respond to a request for its pet policy.
Generally, the best approach is to ask a store associate what the store’s policy is on pets and honor that policy. You should also leave enforcement to the store’s employees.
Additionally, remember service animals can assist with a wide variety of disabilities that aren’t immediately obvious to others. It’s generally not advisable to confront someone about the authenticity of their service animal.
Do you have a question about the law in Kentucky for our service journalism team? Send us an email at ask@herald-leader.com or submit your questions and comments with the Know Your Kentucky form below.