Are Dogs Allowed in Walgreens? (2024 Update)

You are presumably attached to your pet for many reasons, and you probably want to take them everywhere. It gets tricky, though, because dogs aren’t allowed everywhere, which can cause some complications. 

We’re going to take a look at Walgreens today, exploring whether or not you can plan on taking your dog inside. You’ll get a feel for all of the rules, different ways to see if you’re able to bring your pet inside, and a whole lot more. 

We hope the ideas below ease any anxiety or confusion about bringing your dog to Walgreens. 

Let’s get started. 

Can You Bring Your Dog Into Walgreens?

There’s not a simple answer to this question. As a general policy rule, Walgreens is not “pet friendly.”

That means most Walgreens you visit won’t allow dogs inside because there are edible or damageable products inside that rowdy dogs might contact. The company doesn’t have a way of verifying the behavior of dogs before they enter, so they create a blanket rule that dogs aren’t allowed to enter the store. 

That’s the “company rule,” though. It’s not enforced strictly at all locations, so there isn’t a clear answer. The company even allows some leeway to managers and store owners. We’ll cover those loopholes in a moment. 

What About Service Animals?

The only exception to the corporate “no pet” rule is service animals. You won’t have any trouble getting in if you have a registered service animal to accompany you to Walgreens. 

Some laws require business owners to allow individuals with service animals to enter their property. The same goes for landlords. If you’re ever given trouble about having your service animal while you enter an establishment, you may have legal grounds to be compensated. 

The only two questions that owners are allowed to ask you are if the dog is necessary because of a disability and the type of training the animal has to assist you. Questions about your disability or the specific reason for needing an animal are not allowed. 

To refuse an individual because of a service animal violates the Americans with Disabilities Act. 

Are There Any Walgreens That Make Exceptions?

Don’t rule out taking your pet to Walgreens just yet. 

As we mentioned above, there are certain exceptions to the rule. Managers and store staff have some authority when letting animals into their stores. That means stores might have local policies that allow pets into their doors.

Unfortunately, the only way to find out about these policies is to ask directly. Rarely do local Walgreens have a website distinct from the corporate site. That means there are not a lot of opportunities for the store to let people know that pets are allowed unless they post a sign on their door. 

The first thing to try is simply calling the store. If you call and someone doesn’t know the answer, ask for a manager who can tell you whether to bring your pet in or not. Unfortunately, if they say no, you don’t have much recourse. 

Individual Walgreens locations can decide whether or not pets can gain access inside their doors. The beautiful thing is that you can keep looking, though. Walgreens are everywhere around the country, and the odds are that there are multiple stores within a short driving distance of your home. 

If you live out in the country, your chances are slimmer. Let’s look at some ways that you might be able to increase your chances of bringing your dog inside. 

Rural Walgreens Stores

Your chances improve when you look at stores outside of big cities. The more rural the area is surrounding any particular Walgreens, the better your chances of access. There are a couple of reasons why this is true. 

For one, city stores will have more people coming in and out of their doors. In most cases, those people don’t know each other, and they have no idea whether your dog is friendly or not. People stick to themselves more often in large cities, so there might not be as much of a sense of community. 

That’s not true for all establishments, but it usually applies in corporate chains or big stores that host a lot of people. In smaller towns, there’s a little more familiarity with the people who might come in. When people know each other, they’re a little more trusting. 

That lends itself to a “pets allowed” policy even if you’re not from the rural town. 

Ask Multiple Stores

Another way to boost your odds is to call some stores in your area. The more stores you call, the better your odds of getting into the Walgreens with your pet. 

You might also find some people who work at particular stores allowing pets while others don’t, even within the same store. One manager might like pets, while the night manager doesn’t. 

It makes things a little confusing, but the point is that there’s a chance for you to find a store that allows pets, even only during a particular time of day. 

Try a Walk-In

While calling up ahead of time and asking is the cordial thing to do, it might also lower your chances of getting your dog inside, because the employees will likely just follow company protocol and refuse you. 

But, if you just show up outside a store, you’ll have a higher chance of bumping into a friendly manager who may make an exception for you. 

Try CVS Stores

CVS stores are carbon copies of Walgreens in almost all cases. CVS, unlike Walgreens, is generally a pet-friendly store. If there aren’t any Walgreens stores in your area that allow pets, the odds are that there’s a CVS or two right around the corner. 

You can get most of the same products there, and you’ll have a much easier time bringing your well-behaved dog. 

Need More Pet-Ownership Tips?

So, are dogs allowed in Walgreens stores? The short answer is no, but the long answer is maybe (if you’re lucky). CVS should be your alternate choice. 

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There’s a lot more to learn about the ins and outs of dog ownership, though. We’re here to help you sift through it all. Explore our site for more exciting articles on everything from dog breeds to dog trivia.