As the world’s largest convenience store, 7-11 has over 71,000 stores in 20 countries. But are dogs allowed in 7-11 stores with you when you run in to get that Big Gulp® or Slurpee®?
Dogs are NOT allowed in 7-Eleven stores. Why? Because the stores are filled with food. Like a traditional grocery store, these convenience stores are regulated by state health regulations.
You’ll find the same regulations at other convenience stores like QuikTrip and Buc-ee’s and at grocery stores such as Target, Walmart and H-E-B.
Can I bring a service dog in 7-Eleven?
Yes, a trained service dog that is required to assist you is allowed in any 7-11 store under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). According to the ADA:
“Service animals are defined as dogs that are individually trained to do work or perform tasks for people with disabilities. Examples of such work or tasks include guiding people who are blind, alerting people who are deaf, pulling a wheelchair, alerting and protecting a person who is having a seizure, reminding a person with mental illness to take prescribed medications, calming a person with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) during an anxiety attack, or performing other duties. Service animals are working animals, not pets. The work or task a dog has been trained to provide must be directly related to the person’s disability. Dogs whose sole function is to provide comfort or emotional support do not qualify as service animals under the ADA.”
Employees in 7-11 stores have the right to ask you two questions of your service dog:
- whether the service animal is required because the person has a disability
- what type of work or task the service animal is trained to perform
If your dog is not a trained service dog, do not misrepresent your dog as a service dog. Depending on where you live, misprepresenting your dog as a service dog can carry a fine of up to $1000.
Emotional support dogs are not considered service dogs, and do not have the rights of a service dog in most states.
Can a service dog in training go in 7-Eleven?
It depends on location of the 7-11 as to whether or not you’ll be allowed to take a service dog in training into 7-11.
Here in Texas (7-11 is headquartered in Irving, Texas), state law requires that service dogs in training be given permission to access stores with their handlers–but that depends on the state in which the store is located. Find out from your state what the regulations are regarding service dogs in training.
Be sure to check our list of 100+ dog-friendly stores for places you may be able to shop with your dog in your home town.
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