Dog owners are used to leaving their dogs behind when shopping, as most stores have a no-pets policy. However, it is not uncommon for hardware stores to have more lenient policies. Therefore, you may be wondering if Menards allows dogs inside.
Unfortunately, Menards does not allow dogs in its stores. If you’re curious to learn more about Menards’ stance on dogs in stores as well as any exceptions, then keep reading. We’ll also share a list of some stores that do allow dogs!
Can You Bring Your Dog to Menards?
Menards does not have a pet policy posted on their website, so we reached out to their customer service line. They told us that pets are not allowed in stores because they sell food, and the FDA prohibits live animals in stores selling food products meant for human consumption.
We all know it’s dangerous to leave pets in hot cars, but it can also be dangerous to leave them in the car when the weather is too cold. If you’re planning a trip to Menards, be sure to leave your pup at home, where they can be safe and cozy.
Are Service Dogs Allowed in Menards?
Unlike pets, service dogs are allowed in Menards. This is because service dogs perform tasks that are vital to their users’ well-being. Some people’s disabilities are serious enough that being without their service dog would be dangerous to their health.
Service dogs are also protected by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Under this law, businesses are required to allow service dogs entry to any area the public is allowed to go. This means service dogs are welcome in restaurants, department stores, grocery stores, and much more.
The only time a service dog could be denied access or removed from a business is if the dog behaves in a manner that is destructive or dangerous. Similarly, service dogs can be removed if they are not housebroken.
Even though Menards’ reason for denying dogs is because their stores sell food, service dogs are still allowed in Menards and can visit any public area of the store, including the food aisles.
Are Emotional Support Animals Allowed in Menards?
Sometimes, people get emotional support animals (ESAs) and service dogs mixed up. This may be because emotional support animals are often prescribed to people with mental health disabilities. For a while, ESAs were even allowed to accompany their owners on airplanes, but that’s no longer the case.
Service dogs and emotional support animals are very different. Emotional support animals can be any animal, but service animals must be dogs. Service animals are trained to do tasks for an individual with a disability, whereas ESAs don’t have to be trained at all.
Emotional support animals provide comfort for mental health issues through companionship alone, whereas service dogs are trained to take specific actions to help with a person’s disability. Psychiatric service dogs can help with mental health disabilities and are trained to help their owners by performing deep pressure therapy or other pertinent actions.
Emotional support animals are not allowed in Menards, but service dogs (including psychiatric service dogs) are.
Leaving Your Dog in the Car
We’ve all had this happen to us: we are on our way back from the vet’s office with the dog in the backseat when we remember that we really need to pick something up from the store. We’re going to be passing right by it, and it’d be such a hassle to go home and come back. Besides, it’s not even going to take that long, and we can crack a window, right?
Unfortunately, cars can heat up or cool down a lot faster than we may think, and cracking the window doesn’t help. If the temperature is higher than 70 degrees Fahrenheit or lower than 32 degrees Fahrenheit, you shouldn’t leave your dog alone in the car.
If you’re going to do so anyway, set an alarm on your phone for five minutes. If you can’t get in and out of the store in that time, then you’ll just have to call it a day and go home. If you aren’t careful, your dog could get heatstroke or hypothermia.
There are some ways you could leave your dog in the car that would be safe. Firstly, if you’re not alone, your passenger can stay in the car with the dog. If your car has a remote start, you can set the heat or air conditioner before you leave the vehicle. Lock the doors and use the remote start to turn the car back on after you’ve gotten out.
Even with remote start, you shouldn’t leave your pets unattended for too long. If something goes wrong and the heater or AC isn’t working properly, you’ll be completely unaware that your pup is in danger in your vehicle, so keep your trip to 10 minutes or less.
In many states, it is legal for people to break windows to rescue pets from vehicles if they suspect the animal is in danger. Therefore, it’s best not to leave a dog in the car for too long.
Other Reasons Dogs Aren’t Allowed in Stores
A Menards customer service representative told us that the reason Menards doesn’t let dogs in their stores is because they sell food products. Menards isn’t the only store that turns dogs away; there are plenty of stores with no-pets policies that don’t even sell food. Let’s look at some of the alternative reasons dogs aren’t allowed in stores.
Allergies
It’s estimated that 10 to 20 percent of the world’s population is allergic to dogs and cats. Some people’s allergies are severe enough to be life-threatening. For this reason, some stores may feel that it is safer for all of their customers if dogs are left at home.
Cleanliness
Aside from the food safety protocols set by the FDA, some stores don’t want to deal with potential messes pets can make. Animals that aren’t housebroken or that just get too excited in public may urinate or defecate in a store.
Bad Behavior
Though many dogs are friendly, some can be picky about who they want to associate with; stores do not want to have to worry about dogs potentially hurting other customers.
Poorly behaved dogs might also be destructive. They may knock over displays or chew or slobber on things. Some dogs are noisy. We love dogs, but we can admit that barking can sometimes be annoying.
Though lots of dogs are capable of behaving while in a public place, many stores don’t want to have to worry about the ones that aren’t.
Other Stores That Don’t Allow Dogs
Menards is not alone in its no-pets policy. Check out this list of stores that don’t allow dogs so you’ll know when it’s best to leave your pooch at home.
- BJ’s Wholesale Club
- Costco
- Festival Foods
- IKEA
- Meijer
- Menards
- Sam’s Club
- Target
- Trader Joes
- Walgreens
- Walmart
- Whole Foods
Stores That Do Allow Dogs
Though Menards does not allow dogs, there are a handful of stores that are pet-friendly (and a couple of them are hardware stores!) Most of these stores allow dogs, but they expect them to be well-behaved and vaccinated. Should an accident occur, you’ll need to clean it up, though many stores will be able to provide materials for you to do so.
The stores on this list are pet-friendly at most of their locations, but there may be some outliers, so be sure to call ahead and check.
- Ace Hardware
- Bass Pro Shops
- Bed Bath & Beyond
- Cabela’s
- Everlane
- Half Price Books
- Joann Fabrics
- L. Bean
- Lowe’s
- Marshall’s
- Michaels
- Ross
- J. Maxx
- Tractor Supply Co.
- Warby Parker
Dogs Aren’t Allowed in Menards
Unfortunately, dogs are not allowed in Menards. This is mainly because Menards sells food. The FDA has rules that prohibit stores from allowing pets inside if there is food being sold. These rules do not apply to service dogs, however.
Service dogs are still allowed to accompany their users inside any Menards location, and they can even enter the food section. Emotional support animals, though used by people with disabilities, are not allowed in Menards stores.