Publix on pups: No animals allowed in shopping carts, including service dogs, chain says

Josh Hafner | USA TODAY

Show Caption Hide Caption Publix says no to animals in shopping carts, including service dogs The grocery store has posted new signs at the store. Service animals are not permitted to sit or ride in shopping carts.

Publix has put out new warnings to shoppers across the South: Any dog inside the grocery store had better be a service animal, and it better not be in the cart.

The Florida-based grocery chain with a cult-like following added new signs at store entrances that spell it out, the Orlando Sentinel reported.

“For food safety reasons, only service animals that are specifically trained to aid a person with disabilities are permitted within the store," the signs state. "Service animals are not permitted to sit or ride in shopping carts. Thank you for your help!”

The signs simply aim to raise awareness about a longstanding policy, Dwaine Stevens, a Publix spokesman, told the newspaper.

► April 19: Arizona makes it illegal to misrepresent pets as service animals

► Oct. 29: Several states crack down 'fake' service animals

Service animals — or, rather, animals passed off as them — have sparked discussion everywhere from airplane cabins to statehouses after an Arizona lawmaker described an so-called "epidemic" of people buying fake service animal vests online to sneak non-service pets into businesses. Those misrepresenting pets now may face a $250 fine in the state.

More than a dozen states have passed similar laws.

The Americans with Disabilities Act prevents business owners from asking about a person's disability or requesting proof of training for an animal, the Arizona Republic reported, but owners can ask shoppers to leave if an animal is disruptive.

The Department of Transportation was flooded with feedback this month over possible changes involving service animals and untrained emotional support animals.

Follow Josh Hafner on Twitter: @joshhafner