A BJ's dog wash is nothing short of pampering - no more stress or sore backs…read more This is West Auckland's first dog washing salon and they are still going strong. I put it down to great service. You can either bring in your dog and wash them yourself or they'll do it for you obviously for a slightly elevated fee. Now my Labrador is not one for pampering but many of his canine friends are, so they may come here to get groomed and preened s BJ's offer this service. Raised shower stalls and nice warm water make the process comfortably and you don't need to clean the plughole mess! Comfie couches and a TV for the humans.

My first impression was of worn, dirty facilities, and didn't improve. I brought my dog in for the…read moreself-serve dog wash. The ramp was a bit steep for my old arthritic dog, but he managed. The shower hose and shampoo were fine. But the deal breaker for me was the hair dryer. It was basically a shop vac, on reverse, so it was too powerful and only cold air. So obviously not very effective, and sadly unpleasant for my dog. The experience bordered on traumatic for both of us, and I'll not be returning. If you're desperate for a dog wash, it will get the job done, but for $25 I find it overpriced and in need of some upgrades.

Everytime we have been there our dog has come out with a fantastic haircut. Worth paying a extra…read morecouple of bucks.

Due to circumstances beyond my control, all my visits to pet shops are normally only to look at the…read morepuppies, fish and kittens, so my recent visit to Animates was slightly different. Needing to buy dog food for a spaniel that I'm pup sitting, I stopped over at Animates in Westgate, to get the food and stuff I would need for his visit. Golly, gosh, darn... Expensive is not the word; the word is more likely to be four letters long and starting with a loud capital F. Okay, so I'm not used to buying dog food and related products, and I'm only just recovering from the shock of buying baby food, so it was a surprise how expensive dog food had become. So the cost of items is possibly not directly related to the store. I found the service good, and dealt with Sammy, she was informative, and gave me good advice. Overall this is a good store, and their live animal range is quite good plus the food range is massive. I think this visit cured me from getting a puppy just yet, but did find the kittens to be absolutely adorable.

Excellent place for bird and dog lovers, beside it, many people love the parrot in the bird barn,…read moresome of them can say "hello", it's amazing. There is a large park and a skateboarding place. Defintely worths going there often.

The Bird Barn is a bit of an Auckland institution. Well known across the city, even I - a kid from…read moreMt Eden - have spent a lot of time there over the years. Rare and exotic birds, lorikeets, finches, bantams - the Bird Barn stocks them all. Upon entering the Barn you are confronted with a giant pink cockatoo and a few cages down is Snowy, a talking cockatoo that will happily greet you before asking you about your day. He actually gave me a huge fright the first time I went there - I couldn't figure out who was talking to me! The rainbow lorikeets are my favourite, and with an entire cage of these beautiful birds located outside, The Bird Barn is somewhere I admit I go when I'm having an average day. It puts a smile on my face. Though first and foremost a place to purchase birds, today the Bird Barn also incorporates a pet store - something that further delights me, especially when I'm feeling down. Puppies, kittens, fish, guinea pigs, rabbits and an entire barn of birds - how can anyone leave this place without a smile on their face?! Next time you're on Lincoln Road, stop and take a minute to be wowed and impressed by all the cute animals. Don't worry about buying anything - staff are used to people window shopping! Bonus: The Bird Barn is locally owned and locally focussed - my boyfriend's family even used to breed budgies and sell them to the Barn!