This is because food is prepared, stored and sold in these businesses, and the presence of an animal could pose a sanitation risk. As a grocery store owner, it's up to you to uphold the law. The most obvious way to keep pets out of your store is to place signs at every entrance. Service Animal Exceptions Federal law does allow people with disabilities to bring their service dogs into grocery stores. Unfortunately, there is some confusion about what qualifies as a service animal, which occasionally causes ill will between store owners and customers. The confusion often centers on the differences between a service animal and an emotional support animal. Although the federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires that all business owners, including grocery store owners, allow service dogs in their facilities, the same is not true for patrons who have emotional support animals.