[Bbgranny1]

The Food and Drug Administration's Food Guide lays down the law: with few exceptions, live animals of any kind are not permitted on the premises of a grocery store, a restaurant or other food establishment. The prohibition applies to dogs, cats, birds and other animals. Animals are unsanitary, and the law protects the national food supply from contamination from dog drool, urine, feces and other material that dogs carry on their coats and paws and might leave behind on store shelves or counters.

Exceptions
Some dogs are allowed access to grocery stores in spite of the general rule that they are not. For example, law enforcement dogs can come inside, as long as they're accompanying a police or security officer. Without this exception, a canine-officer team in hot pursuit of a criminal would have to stop the chase if the bad guy ran into a grocery store. A similar exception permits service animals for the disabled to be in grocery stores under certain circumstances.

Service Dogs
Laws that regulate dogs in grocery stores must not interfere with the rights of disabled people who use service dogs. The FDA requires grocery stores to allow disabled employees, customers and other business visitors to bring service dogs into their stores. The disabled person must be in control of the dog at all times, and the store can restrict the dog's access so it is only allowed in parts of the store where its activities don't pose a health or safety hazard.

If someone sees a non-service animal inside a grocery store, the person should contact the Food and Drug Protection Division of the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services at (919) 733-7366. The law allows the division to assess penalties of up to $2,000 for violations of the Food, Drug and Cosmetics Act, depending on the degree and extent of harm caused by the violation. But, in fact, many states are cracking down on fake service dogs. That includes Florida, where it's actually a second-degree misdemeanor, punishable by a fine of up to $500 or up to 60 days in jail, to misrepresent your pet as a service animal.

Enforcement
No dogs are allowed to be in a grocery shopping cart. Service dogs have "four on the floor" when they're not performing a task. This means they walk with their owners and are not transported in a purse, bag, cart or stroller.