Are Pets Allowed Inside Trader Joe's?

Trader Joe's hand-painted signs and brightly colored Hawaiian shirts make for a hospitable shopping experience that may have you feeling relaxed as you're out running weekend errands. Yet as friendly as Trader Joe's stores might appear, the lively environment may not be so easy-going that you can bring furry friends inside to pick up groceries alongside you. 

Unfortunately for your dog, cute pooches are not allowed into Trader Joe's stores. This goes for any kind of pet you own. While some stores will allow pets in outdoor spaces, grocery stores tend to not be hospitable to furry friends. This no-pets policy is followed throughout all of Trader Joe's spaces, including the store itself, office spaces, and restaurant areas. Unless your dog is a service animal, your pet can't be brought inside the front doors, even if the animal is on a leash, tucked away in a backpack, or kept inside some sort of cage. Should you decide to test the waters and bring your dog into the store, a Trader Joe's employee may ask what kind of commands the dog has been trained to obey. They can also ask if the dog is required for one's disability, but they cannot ask for direct proof if the pup is a service animal.

This no-pets policy isn't only held at Trader Joe's. Government mandates stipulate that non-service animals cannot enter any American grocery store. Shopping can be hectic enough, and as fun as Trader Joe's might be, store aisles packed with frenetic shoppers aren't necessarily ideal for a cute beast to hang out in. Should your animal be trained as a qualifying service animal, the dog must be leashed in the store, unless the disability of the owner is a limiting factor, and the dog should be walking on the floor or carried by hand — not placed into a grocery cart to be pushed through the aisles.

If you happen to remember that your fridge is empty and want to shop with your dog in tow, you may want to find the markets that offer curbside pickup for easy, quick purchases or use online delivery. Since Trader Joe's doesn't deliver, if you have your heart set on grabbing a bunch of the best snacks from Trader Joe's, like the piquant popcorn and cheddar CheeseSticks, you may need to make arrangements for your furry best friends while you race inside the store and load up a shopping cart.