Publix has made a public announcement on their website to address the issue at hand. For the record, this has always been the policy, only Publix looked the other way and it got out of control.
Bottom line: No Emotional Support Animals or Pets Allowed Inside. No Exceptions of any kind. This is the same policy in virtually every food store anyway.
Source See it here for yourself: Service Animal Policy - Publix Website
Publix permits service animals in the areas of its premises that are open to the public.
A service animal is a dog or miniature horse that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks to assist an individual with a disability. Dogs, miniature horses, or other animals that provide only emotional support, comfort, or companionship are not considered service animals.1
A service animal must be under the control of its handler. A service animal must have a harness, leash, or other tether, unless the handler is either unable to use the same because of a disability, or the use of the same would interfere with the service animal’s safe, effective performance of work or tasks. In such case, the service animal must otherwise be under the handler’s control, such as through voice commands, signals, or other effective means.1
We ask that non-service animals be removed from the premises. We also ask that service animals that are out of control, pose a threat to health or safety, or are not housebroken be removed from the premises. The individual may continue to shop at the store without the animal. Publix will gladly provide personal shopping assistance to such an individual upon request.
All service animals are prohibited from being carried in a Publix shopping cart (even on a mat) or in Publix wheelchair basket attachments.
To sum it up, Publix has explicitly stated that only service animals will be allowed inside the store moving forward. This decision includes a clear exclusion of emotional support animals and regular pets. It's worth noting that this policy is being implemented uniformly, without any exceptions.
This update not only informs us about Publix's stance but also provides insights into the evolving regulations surrounding animals in public spaces. Reference: ADA Requirements: Service Animals
Do you have a comment to add? Register here for instant publishing with no catcha or leave a comment as a guest.
