Grocery guideline
Stores post signs reminding shoppers about the rules
Publix posts signs reminding shoppers about rules on service animals.
Publix has posted new signs at the entrance and exits to stores telling customers which service animals are permitted in the store and where they can be.
“For food safety reasons, only service animals that are specifically trained to aid a person with disabilities are permitted within the store,” the signs say. “Service animals are not permitted to sit or ride in shopping carts. Thank you for your help!”
Publix spokesman Dwaine Stevens said Publix has always had the policy about service animals, but the signs are for awareness. Service animals have become a controversial issue as several states have moved to crack down on people potentially abusing federal disability laws to take their pets into businesses.
The Americans with Disabilities Act allows individuals with disabilities to take service dogs into many public businesses, including restaurants, hotels and stores. It also stops businesses from requiring certification to let animals in.
But the growing number of animals seen on airplanes and in shopping centers have some asking if pet owners are abusing disability laws.
Earlier this year Delta and Alaska Airlines tightened restrictions on emotional support animals, banning animals such as goats, salamanders and hedgehogs.