Costco answers a common customer question

I often describe my Plott Hound mix Winnie as the love of my life. No disrespect to my husband or my human children, but she is my most loyal companion. She doesn’t talk back. She is always happy to see me, and she eats whatever I put in front of her without complaint. 

I often bring her along with me if I have errands to run after we hike, so she has accompanied me to Lowe’s and Ace Hardware, CVS, and Trader Joe’s. She has even dined at restaurants al fresco a handful of times with my husband and me. 

💵💰Don’t miss the move: Subscribe to TheStreet’s free daily newsletter💰💵

After our walks I can’t leave her in the car from May through October because it’s too warm. So what’s a dog mom to do? 

The Trader Joe’s in my neighborhood recently plastered a “no pets” sign on the front door, so apparently I can’t bring her on my weekly grocery run any more. 

But it made me wonder about some other spots, like Costco.  

Americans says their pets are part of the family 

Americans are pet crazy. Just a quick look at some statistics will confirm this. 

Most Americans (62%) own a pet and nearly all of them — a whopping 97% —  say their pets are part of their family, according to a Pew Research Center survey. About half of these pet owners not only consider their pets to be a part of their family but say they are as much a part of their family as human members (sorry, kids). 

Related: Costco quietly makes huge change that will save you money

That may be why it seems like no matter where you go, you see people with their pets in tow. Restaurants, retail shops, casinos, hospitals, you name it. 

Yet chances are pretty good that most of these pet owners are violating city ordinances because the dogs are not service animals. A service animal is one that has been trained to work or perform tasks for a person who has a disability. 

A service animal is not one that merely provides “emotional support,” however essential that support might be to a person.  

Costco policy: no pets allowed

There are some places where it seems perfectly natural to bring your dog, like Lowe’s or Home Depot. The aisles are wide, there isn’t much in the way of food, and overall the store is a bit dusty; a little pet hair isn’t such a big deal. 

Other retailers have very strict no-pets-allowed policies. 

Turns out Costco is one of them. 

Related: Amazon quietly makes big change that gives shoppers more choice

Costco allows only service animals in its stores. 

Granted, Costco stores tends to be very crowded and chaotic, even during the less busy times, so it wouldn’t seem to be the most relaxing place to have a dog in tow anyway. 

But on the company’s website, right there in black and white, Costco says: 

In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Costco has adopted a service animal policy. Be assured that Costco members accompanied by service animals have immediate access to our warehouses.

Costco is permitted under the ADA to ascertain whether the animal is a service animal. Accordingly, and in full compliance with the ADA, Costco employees may ask two questions in order to determine whether an animal is a service animal:

1. Is that a service animal?

2. What task or function is it trained to perform?

Our policy effectively provides notice to everyone encountering the service animal that:

1. The allowance of a service animal into our warehouse is in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act;

2. The animal is trained to perform a task or function;

3. Health and safety laws are not being broken.

As for Winnie, she has her “Canine Good Citizen” certification, but she is not a service animal and I’m (mostly) a rule follower. So it looks like she will not be coming to Costco with me. 

#Costco #answers #common #customer #question