Walgreens Service Dog Pets Policy

Walgreens says that, unfortunately, they cannot compromise with the hygiene, convenience, and safety they’ve been providing to their customers for a long time. Therefore, the company has made it clear that no dogs/pets are allowed inside the Walgreens store. But the only exception is for service dogs/pets. 

If a customer is having some complexity or suffering from some difficulties, they are allowed to carry their service dogs inside the store with them. This is for the sake of their convenience and safety. But the company does lay down a condition. The service pets are required to wear a coat or a collar around their neck with “Service Dogs” written on it. Only under this condition, a pet is allowed inside the store.

Why Does Walgreens Not Allow Dogs Inside?

This step is taken for the hygiene of other customers shopping at the store. No matter how well-conducted or clean your dog/pet is, there are still people who are allergic to dogs and other pets. Some people feel uncomfortable shopping around dogs. There are also chances that your dog creates some sort of chaos inside the store. This will lead to the slander of the company, which is not acceptable for the Walgreens company. 

By now, it must be clear to you whether your fluffy mate can join you inside for pharmacy shopping, even if the shopping is for your dog.

What Will Happen If You Take Your Dog Inside A Walgreens Store

As mentioned above, according to Walgreens, no dogs are allowed inside the store except for service dogs. Therefore, if you are suffering from any difficulties and own a service dog, you can take your dog inside the store without any objections. Both you and your mate will be treated nicely and respectfully. But if you plan on taking your daily pet dog to the store with you, the employees may ask you ( politely with respect) to drop your dog outside the store for convenience and hygiene. 

However, this is not the case for all stores. At many Walgreens stores where the employees or managers are carefree or lax, they might not object to you and your dog. They won’t even get bothered about it. But there may be some customers who might get offended or feel uncomfortable with your dog’s presence. Hence, it clearly depends from store to store. Not everyone follows the Walgreens Pet Policy strictly in every store. Thus, it is possible that you take your dog to a Walgreens store and not get asked to leave it outside. 

Will Emotional Support Pet/Dog Be Allowed Inside A Walgreens Store?

Yes, because emotional support dogs also come under the category of service dogs. Service dogs include all dogs that help any person suffering from difficulties or are differently-abled. Therefore, emotional dogs are also categorized as service dogs. It is seen and research-proven that a dog or pet can help people suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Order to feel a little more comfortable and relieved in case they have a relapse. Owning a dog can be extremely helpful in lifting the mood and getting relief from stress and anxiety. It is considered better than therapy or medication at times, as it takes a long period to heal PTSD through therapy alone. 

Conclusion

Thus, you can take your dog/pet inside a Walgreens store only if it is a service dog/pet. But there are very few stores that are strict regarding the pet policy rules and regulations. If the workers and manager of a store are not vigilant or they are not bothered, you can take your pet inside the store without objection. Thus, allowing pets mostly depends on the different stores and their workers.

Are pet cats allowed inside a Walgreens store?

According to Walgreens, you can’t take your pet cat inside with you. But there is no restriction for them to wait outside the store.

Can an employee work with service dogs in Walgreens?

Yes, Walgreens has started to open up its policies and has accepted employees with disabilities to work with their service dogs.