Doggie Parent Blog

Have you been thinking about taking your dog on your next shopping trip to Best Buy? Well, this guide is going to be answering one question that you might have been asking a lot. Are dogs allowed in Best Buy? I am going to be breaking down the pet policy of Best Buy stores and also help you to understand what it means to you as a dog owning customer. Let's get started. Store Name:Best BuyPet Policy:Not Friendly (they only allow service animals)Headquarters:Richfield, Minnesota, United StatesNumber Of Locations: 977 (2020) Does Best Buy Allow Dogs? Best Buy does not officially allow dogs inside their stores unless the dog is classifies as a service animal according to the definition provided by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Any pet or dog that is not considered to be a service animal as defined by ADA will not be allowed inside Best Buy stores. The retailer requires all customers who have service animals to have their dogs on a leash and also make sure that their dog is well behaved. So if you are taking your service dog on your shopping trip to a local Best Buy store, it is important for you to carry a leash and also control your dog's behavior. Best Buy Dog Policy The official dog policy of Best Buy states that they only allow service animals inside their stores. Any dog that is not classified as a service animal according to the definition provided by the Americans with Disabilities Act is not guaranteed entry. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) currently defines a service animal as any dog that has been individually trained to perform tasks for a person with a disability. This means that any other animals or pets like cats, goats, birds, lizards and rodents cannot be classified as service animals. If your dog is classified as a service animal, stores like Best Buy are obligated by law to allow you to enter their premises with your dog. However, the same stores reserve the right to turn away any dog that is not on a leash or behaving in way that disturbs the interests of the store or its customers. So it is very important to have your dog at their best behavior and securely leashed before entering a Best Buy store. There are many cases of customers who were not allowed to enter Best Buy stores with a service animal simply because the dog was not on a leash or misbehaving so you must take this seriously. But now that we have covered the official pet policy of Best Buy, you might be wondering why you have seen some non-service animals inside their stores. Well, this has everything to do with the legal loopholes that are created by the Americans with Disabilities Act. According to ADA, institutions are only allowed to ask if a dog is a service animal required because of a disability and the task it has been trained to perform. Institutions are not allowed to request documentation for the dog, inquire about the specific nature of the customer's disability or request that the dog perform its trained task. This makes it easy for anyone to lie that their dog is a service animal required because of a disability and there is nothing that stores like Best Buy can do about it. A Reddit user who is also a Best Buy employee had this to say about the issue: It's service animals but my store gave up. I was told by one of our AP they can ask if it's a service animal but aren't allowed to ask for proof so they gave up. I've brought a 150+ pound dog in there a few times and never gotten a second look. I got to pet a goat in my store once too. That was cool. So the bottom line is that the official policy of Best Buy does not allow non-service dogs inside their stores but you might be surprised to see one because the managers and employees don't have a reliable legal ground for enforcing the policy: Another Best Buy employee actually addressed the issue by saying: I'm not quite sure what my store's policy is but if I'm at AP, as long as the dog looks well behaved (not pulling on the leash, barking/yipping, etc) or has a service vest, I won't stop you. Nice treat for me and my coworkers. Is Best Buy Dog Friendly? Best Buy is definitely not a dog friendly store because according to their official policy, they only allow service animals inside their premises. Theoretically, dogs that are not classified as service animals according to the Americans with Disabilities Act are not allowed to enter inside Best Buy premises but this not practiced at many of their store locations. This is because store managers and employees find it difficult to enforce the policy and also comply with the requirements of ADA. One Best Buy employee actually had this to say about the pet policy of the company: Officially only service animals are allowed inside. Unofficially if the dog is well behaved and doesn't poop we don't care anymore at my store So, Are Dogs Allowed In Best Buy Stores? As I have already stated, the official pet policy for Best Buy stores clearly states that they only allow service animals inside their stores. Dogs that are not classified as service animals according to ADA should not be allowed but this is not practiced at many of the retailer's store locations. Store managers and employees have a hard time enforcing the company's pet policy whilst complying with the ADA requirements so they just end up allowing all animals inside the store.

Recent Posts