Making Canine Retail Therapy a Thing – Can Dogs Enter Shopping Malls?

In puppy paradise, dogs would be welcome into every single space. There’s nothing more exciting to a dog than new smells and sights, and malls are chock full of those. But the reality is that not all stores are canine-friendly. Check out a comprehensive list of fur-friendly malls and learn all about how to properly prepare your dog for a shopping spree.

Getting your dog ready for a day at the mall

Make sure your pet is fine with crowds

Socialization is key for any public environment. But in small shops and indoor spaces, there’s a very good chance your dog will come across other animals, babies and adults of all kinds. If your dog is shy or uncomfortable around strangers, this could be a very overwhelming environment for them. If they’re super extroverted, though, this could be a fun adventure. Just be sure to stay extra aware of their behavior as you walk around. There’s always a chance, however small, that something new they’ve never seen, smelled or experienced before could trigger new or aggressive behavior, or any number of other behaviors associated with stress.

Know before you go

Before heading to the mall, check out the shopping center’s website and pet policy. If you’re curious about a specific store, you can also give them a call before to ask. These rules change every once in a while, and many shops have service-dog only policies. So it’s good to be prepared and know if your dog will be welcome when you get there. 

Bring a leash (or carrier)

In both indoor and outdoor malls, it’s always safest to keep your dog on a leash. Not all people are very kind to dogs and not all dogs want to engage with all people. To keep everyone safe and comfortable, it’s the best idea to have your dog on leash at all times. If you have a small dog, bringing their carrier could also be a good idea. That way, if they have any anxiety, they can feel safe in a place they know. And if anyone suddenly has a problem being around your furry friend (maybe they’re allergic or afraid of animals), you can easily solve that situation without having to leave the store or restaurant.

Always clean up

The number one rule of being a respectful dog owner is to always clean up after them. Even with great training, dogs can sometimes have an accident inside. With so much stimulation in a mall, it’s possible they may pee a little on the floor out of excitement. Make sure to clean up after them as quickly as possible, since there are so many children touching everything in these spaces. If you’re at an outdoor mall, it may feel completely natural for your dog to go to the bathroom. To them, a tree is a tree. But to the other mall-goers, a tree is part of their shopping experience, not a dog park. So still make sure to clean up after your furry friend outside.

Be aware of potential dangers

Shopping malls – even ones that happily welcome pups – were built with humans in mind. That seems like a pretty obvious thing to point out but think about it – every utility, every facility, was designed for humans. In practice, that means that some things may pose a danger to dogs. Take the prime suspect – escalators. Apart from possibly being scared by them, they may be a danger to dogs’ paws getting stuck and badly injured.

Malls that dogs can enter

Here’s a list of U.S. malls by state where dogs are welcome:

Nationwide:

Simon Premium Outlet Malls

Alabama:

Bridge Street Town Centre (Huntsville)

The Shoppes at EastChase (Montgomery)

Arizona:

Biltmore Fashion Park (Phoenix)

Tucson Premium Outlets (Tucson)

California:

Blackhawk Plaza (Danville)

Broadway Plaza (Walnut Creek)

Camarillo Premium Outlets (Camarillo)

Carlsbad Premium Outlets (Carlsbad)

Carmel Plaza (Carmel-by-the-Sea)

Citadel Outlets (Los Angeles/Commerce)

Del Mar Highlands Town Center (San Diego)

Del Mar Plaza (Del Mar)

Del Monte Shopping Center (Monterey)

Desert Hills Premium Outlets (Cabazon)

Downtown Santa Monica/3rd Street Promenade (Santa Monica)

Eastridge Center (San Jose)

Fashion Island (Newport Beach)

Gilroy Premium Outlets (Gilroy)

Irvine Spectrum Center (Irvine)

Las Americas Premium Outlets (San Ysidro)

Malibu Lumber Yard (Malibu)

Montgomery Village (Santa Rosa)

Otay Ranch Town Center (Chula Vista)

Pismo Beach Premium Outlets (Pismo Beach)

Rodeo Drive (Beverly Hills)

Seaport Village (San Diego)

Stanford Shopping Center (Palo Alto)

The Barlow (Sebastopol)

The Crossroads Carmel (Carmel)

The Gardens on El Paseo (Palm Desert)

The Grove (Los Angeles)

The Outlets at Orange (Orange)

The Promenade Shops at Orchard Valley (Manteca)

The Shops at Dos Lagos (Corona)

The Village at Corte Madera (Corte Madera)

Ventura Harbor Village (Ventura)

Village Faire (Carlsbad)

Vintage Oaks Shopping Center (Novato)

Westfield Century City (Los Angeles)

Westfield Santa Anita (Arcadia)

Westfield Topanga & The Village (Canoga Park)

Westfield UTC (San Diego)

Colorado:

Aspen Grove (Littleton)

Outlets at Castle Rock (Castle Rock)

The Promenade Shops at Briargate (Colorado Springs)

The Promenade Shops at Centerra (Loveland)

Twenty Ninth Street (Boulder)

Connecticut:

The Promenade Shops at Evergreen Walk (South Windsor)

Delaware:

Tanger Outlets Rehoboth Beach (Rehoboth Beach)

Florida:

5th Avenue South (Naples)

Bal Harbour Shops (Bal Harbour)

Bell Tower Shops (Fort Myers)

Coconut Point (Estero)

Hyde Park Village (Tampa)

Lincoln Road Mall (Miami)

Mercato (Naples)

Miromar Outlets (Estero)

Orlando Vineland Premium Outlets (Orlando)

Rosemary Square (West Palm Beach)

Shops at Merrick Park (Coral Gables)

The Falls (Miami)

The Shops at Wiregrass (Wesley Chapel)

The Village of Baytowne Wharf (Miramar Beach)

Waterford Lakes Town Center (Orlando)

Waterside Shops (Naples)

Georgia:

North Georgia Premium Outlets (Dawsonville)

The Avenue East Cobb (Marietta)

Hawaii:

Ward Village (Honolulu)

Illinois:

Burr Ridge Village Center (Willowbrook)

Deer Park Town Center (Deer Park)

Geneva Commons (Geneva)

The Promenade Bolingbrook (Bolingbrook)

The Shoppes at Grand Prairie (Peoria)

The Shops at North Bridge (Chicago)

Kansas:

Town Center Plaza & Crossing (Leawood)

Kentucky:

The Outlet Shoppes of the Bluegrass (Simpsonville)

Maine:

Kittery Premium Outlets (Kittery)

Maryland:

Clarksburg Premium Outlets (Clarksburg)

Hagerstown Premium Outlets (Hagerstown)

Hunt Valley Towne Centre (Cockeysville)

Queenstown Premium Outlets (Queenstown)

Massachusetts:

Derby Street Shops (Hingham)

Faneuil Hall Marketplace (Boston)

Lee Premium Outlets (Lee)

MarketStreet Lynnfield (Lynnfield)

The Street at Chestnut Hill (Chestnut Hill)

Wrentham Village Premium Outlets (Wrentham)

Michigan:

Birch Run Premium Outlets (Birch Run)

The Mall at Partridge Creek (Clinton Township)

Minnesota:

Albertville Premium Outlets (Albertville)

Nicollet Mall (Minneapolis)

Missouri:

Country Club Plaza (Kansas City)

Osage Beach Outlet Marketplace (Osage Beach)

St. Louis Premium Outlets (Chesterfield)

Nevada:

Downtown Summerlin (Las Vegas)

Prizm Outlets (Primm)

The District at Green Valley Ranch (Henderson)

Tivoli Village (Las Vegas)

Town Square Las Vegas (Las Vegas)

New Jersey:

The Mall at Short Hills (Short Hills)

The Promenade at Sagemore (Marlton)

New Mexico:

Fashion Outlets of Santa Fe (Santa Fe)

New York:

Tanger Outlets Riverhead (Riverhead)

The Shops at Columbus Circle (Manhattan)

North Carolina:

Asheville Outlets (Asheville)

Carolina Premium Outlets (Smithfield)

Charlotte Premium Outlets (Charlotte)

Ohio:

Aurora Farms Premium Outlets (Aurora)

Legacy Village (Lyndhurst)

The Greene Town Center (Beavercreek)

Oklahoma:

Utica Square (Tulsa)

Oregon:

Bridgeport Village (Tigard)

Pennsylvania:

Peddler’s Village (Lahaska, Bucks County)

Philadelphia Premium Outlets (Pottstown)

The Promenade Shops at Saucon Valley (Center Valley)

South Carolina:

Gaffney Outlet Marketplace (Gaffney)

Mount Pleasant Towne Centre (Mount Pleasant)

Tennessee:

Tanger Outlets Sevierville (Sevierville)

Texas:

Hill Country Galleria (Bee Cave)

Hillside Village (Cedar Hill)

LaCenterra at Cinco Ranch (Katy)

Las Palmas Marketplace (El Paso)

The Domain (Austin)

The Shops at La Cantera (San Antonio)

The Shops at Willow Bend (Plano)

Utah:

City Creek Center (Salt Lake City)

Virginia:

Leesburg Corner Premium Outlets (Leesburg)

Reston Town Center (Reston)

Stony Point Fashion Park (Richmond)

Washington:

Seattle Premium Outlets (Tulalip)

Special exceptions

Service animals are legally allowed to enter any store. According to the The American Disabilities Act (ADA), “State and local governments, businesses, and nonprofit organizations that serve the public generally must allow service animals to accompany people with disabilities in all areas of the facility where the public is allowed to go”.

What is the official difference between a service animal and a pet? According to ADA, “service animals are defined as dogs that are individually trained to do work or perform tasks for people with disabilities”.

This includes:

• Guiding people who are blind
• Alerting people who are deaf
• Pulling a wheelchair
• Protecting a person who’s having a seizure
• Reminding a person with mental illness to take prescribed medications
• Calming a person with PTSD during an anxiety attack

These laws are for service animals, but this doesn’t include emotional support animals (ESAs). Even though your ESA may be extremely helpful for your mental health, they’re not included since they’re not trained to perform specific tasks for people with disabilities. Service animals are trained from a young age to work, whereas all kinds of pets (not just dogs!) can become ESAs later in their life.

Of course, no matter what the law says, it always depends on who’s working in a shop on any given day and how they feel about animals. Whether you have a service dog, an ESA or a pet who just loves a sale, the shopkeeper may decide for themselves if you can come in or not. But if you have a service animal, it’s important to know your rights (and let others know if they haven’t heard about this before).

As perfect and loving as you may find your dog, not everyone feels that same way about animals. Veterinary Behaviorist Dr. Stephanie Borns-Weil said, “It’s important for dog owners taking dogs to public places that we respect other people’s boundaries as well. Not everybody wants to be near dogs”.

No matter how well-trained your pet is, accidents do sometimes happen when you’re out shopping together – and not all of them involve a mere puddle of pee. Make sure your dog is always taken care of with Animalia Pet Insurance’s dog insurance – and the first-rate coverage it provides.