Is Buc-ee’s Pet Friendly? 2024 Policy Update
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Buc-ee’s is a uniquely Southern treasure, widely loved for its clean, spacious stores, full-service deli, and countless other customer service-oriented amenities, like free air. When you’re traveling in the South and spot the big beaver, make sure to take a quick pit stop—you might just find one of your new favorite places!
There’s bad news, though. Buc-ee’s does not allow dogs inside. The only dogs allowed inside are service animals, as legally required by the ADA. The main reasons for this policy are that Buc-ee’s cooks and serves food, so dogs could constitute a health code violation, so this is to help keep the stores in pristine condition at all times. It’s the same pragmatic policy you’d see at any grocery store that also serves food, like Walmart or HEB. We love our dogs, but they can make a mess. This isn’t to say that Buc-ee’s isn’t dog-friendly, though, because they are!
Can I Stop at Buc-ee’s With My Dog Even if They Don’t Go Inside?
You’ll notice that every Buc-ee’s has a large grassy area nearby, which is a perfect potty spot for dogs on the go with you. Even better, they have a free doggy waste bag dispenser and trash can to help you clean up. In addition, Buc-ee’s has a pet section in their stores, with Buc-ee’s themed merch, pet food, treats, and all your essentials.
So, if you’re traveling with your dog, we suggest taking turns hanging out with them outside while a travel companion goes inside the store. If you’re interested in a bit more about how Buc-ee’s service animal policy works or what other stores your dog can go inside, stick with us as we break that info down.
Buc-ee’s Service Animal Policy
The Americans with Disabilities Act or ADA requires establishments, including Buc-ee’s, to make certain accommodations to optimize accessibility for disabled persons. That means they have to allow service animals trained to assist disabled persons with tasks related to their disability, like guiding a blind person or protecting a person having a seizure and alerting others.
Buc-ee’s legally can’t ask detailed questions about the person’s specific disability, and contrary to popular belief, businesses can’t require you to display a vest, ID tag, or other physical credentials. Businesses must allow any disabled person and their trained service animal to enter the store, and they’re limited in what they can ask in regard to the person’s disability. Specifically, Buc-ee’s can only ask two questions according to the law. Let’s take a quick look so you know your rights.
Questions Allowed by the ADA include:
- “Is this a trained service animal required for a disability?”
- “What work has this dog been trained to perform?”
What Stores Allow Dogs?
Generally speaking, you’ll have more luck bringing your dog to stores that don’t cook or sell food. So that means no restaurants, supermarkets with delis, or anything of the like. We know this narrows your options by quite a bit, but that’s just how it is, and the law is the law when it comes to food safety. It does leave us wanting to know which stores are explicitly dog-friendly, though. So, without further ado, let’s list the most dog-friendly stores you can visit with your furry friend today.
- Petco: This pet store chain allows all types of pets in appropriate harnesses.
- Petsmart: The other major pet store of choice that also allows all types of domestic pets.
- Home Depot: Usually allows dogs in stores, but the policy may vary based on the store manager.
- Lowe’s: Ostensibly pet-friendly by default, only a handful of stores are known to not allow dogs inside.
- Michael’s: This popular craft store knows how important your dog is to your creative process.
- Bass Pro Shops: Grab some tackle with Fido before you go fishing at this pet-friendly fishing/outdoor chain.
Conclusion
Buc-ee’s provides an open grassy dog relief area and sells pet-related merchandise in their jumbo-sized convenience stores but doesn’t actually allow dogs inside because of food safety laws. Per the ADA, though, Buc-ee’s must allow trained service dogs inside and can’t make a big deal about it.
Featured Image Credit: aerogondo2, Shutterstock
