Most people like to bring their pets when they run their daily errands.
It can be taking the car to the car wash to picking up dry cleaning to going shopping.
Target is a retail supermarket that is well established.
It has high-quality products that are sold at a fair price that is affordable to most people, even those living off minimum wage.
Tip: Target has shopping carts that are very child friendly. They have space at the front for kids and most especially kids with disabilities.
What is Target’s policy on dogs?
Target has a strict dog policy and does not allow the entry of dogs into the market.
They do not get granted entry at the supermarket entrance.
Does this only apply to dogs? No.
Target generally has a strict no pets policy that does not allow animals in the supermarket.
Target is generally one of the few retail stores that are not pet-friendly.
They have been asked a couple of times why they have such strict no pets policies.
This is what they happened to mention regarding their policy:
- The no pets policy is heavily enforced to ensure the target is safe for all customers. They are keen on making customers’ time at target is enjoyable for the customers.
- It is also enforced to ensure that they prevent cases of allergies. This is because there are some people with allergic reactions to animals and thus keeping them away from customers serves as a precautionary measure.
- Target is very child-friendly but some children are scared of dogs and their pets. It allows shoppers with kids to shop freely without having their children in fear.
Does Target’s no pet policy apply everywhere?
Targets’ policies are usually standard in all target stores across the world.
They may be a bit less strict in some locations but the policies remain the same.
What about service dogs?
Target only allows official service dogs into the retail stores.
Service dogs are dogs that have been assigned to help people with disabilities and protect them when necessary.
This is because official service dogs have been trained to stay with their owners throughout and the owner cannot leave their dog as well.
There are different types of service dogs depending on the service they are offering to the owner.
The service dog owner must keep the documentation near in case they are asked to verify the service dog in cases that are not too obvious.
Below are some of the official service dogs allowed in Target:
1. Guide dogs
They are the most common service dogs around.
They are mainly used by either blind people or people with other vision problems to ensure they are safe as they move from one place to another.
It is always important to check whether the guide dog is on duty before approaching it.
When on duty, they wear a special harness that the owner uses to hold them.
They are very ferocious when on duty.
When off-duty, they have their leash off.
When they are off-leash, they can be played with.
2. Autism response dogs
They are trained to help autistic people go about their daily activities.
Having their dogs with them provides them with the confidence they need.
This helps them connect with other people especially those in the same age group.
It helps the child not disappear or run away when things become a bit too difficult and if they do; they can track them down using their scent.
3. Mobility assistance dogs
They are dogs that have been trained to help their owners to navigate through movement.
The owners may suffer from spinal cord injuries and diseases that affect the bones such as arthritis.
They help the owner go about mundane day-to-day tasks such as pushing doors and paying at supermarket counters.
For the owners with more severe cases, their dogs help them with movement from one place to another.
Learn More:
4. Psychiatric service dogs
Psychiatric service dogs serve people with mental disorders.
They are extensively trained to be able to detect any slight changes in the moods of their owners.
This helps them detect an anxiety attack or a panic attack and get proper help before it happens.
Tip: Mental health disorders involve high functioning anxiety, both mild and major depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder.
5. Hearing dogs
They are used for assistance by hearing-impaired people.
They alert their owners to important sounds such as smoke or fire alarms.
The sounds could also be simple sounds such as oven timers.
They direct their owners away from the sound if it is warnings sounds like alarms, or take them towards the sounds if it is something harmless like an oven timer.
They help people with hearing impairments become independent and live on their own without depending on human help.
6. Allergy detection dogs
These are dogs that have undergone training to smell different kinds of scents that could be toxic to the owner.
Especially those that give the owner allergic reactions such as aerosol spray.
They warn the owner about the scent and get them away from its source.
7. Diabetic alert dogs
These dogs can tell when the owners’ blood sugar levels are either low or high.
They usually have a very good sense of smell and can easily tell when the sugar levels of the owner are on either extreme.
Note: The extremes can either be hyperglycemia or hypoglycemia. Hyperglycemia is a condition in the body when blood sugar is dangerously high. Hypoglycemia is a condition in the body when the blood sugar is dangerously low in the body.
8. Seizure response dogs
They are trained to help their owners when they get epileptic seizures.
They can tell before it happens.
During their training, they are given thorough instructions on what to do if an epileptic seizure occurs in a public place and how to call for help when it happens.
This type of service dog is also trained to stay by its owner’s side the whole time.
So yes, if you have an official service dog, then you can bring them to Target.
