Owner was very nice and very helpful. Bought handmade cat toys. 2 small mice, large mouse, and a…read morekick stick (like a kick-a-roo). All had catnip in them which I was told was supplied locally and that the lady making these toys would not disclose her source. Led me to believe that it's cats recommended. Well...I brought the bag of goodies home but had to run and get kids from school. Now, my cat Jarvis is a good boy. He doesn't jump on the table EVER. When the kids and I got home, Jarvis had the handle of the bag around his neck, the bag ripped open, and 2 of the toys ripped out of the plastic ziplocks. The other 2 toys couldn't quite make it out of the package. Jarvis loves them. He sure has gotten a lot of play time and exercise with these...and he was pretty high. I will definitely be buying again!

We were in Ames for an extended period and needed a specific product for our 13YO Labradoodle. We…read morecame to the right place, as Treats on a Leash gave us solid customer service, answered all of our questions, and helped us select a probiotic that was a positive addition to our dog's daily feeding. They have a super selection and don't push you. Instead, they are pleasant, and this is a great reflection of owner Michael Morris, who we met on this visit and could not have been kinder. We appreciated his staffer, who was so nice and extremely knowledgeable. Plenty of street parking on Ames' Main Street!

Our experience with Ames Petco has been less than one star in the past 2 years we have gotten three…read moreanimals and two of them have died the very recent one is a guinea pig we've only had for less than 2 months and he's lethargic and stopped eating? Wow so much for being a pet store more like a death Store.

I apologize for how long this is.. My husband and I are…read morelooking to get a second conure for our family as we love them so much. We called around to different stores and found that this Ames Petco location had a few options. We live in Ankeny so of course we called first to get more info and make sure they were still available. When we arrived we looked at the birds first and then I went to find the pet specialist to help us. When she came over she Greeted us with "what's up" like we were bothering her. Annoying and unprofessional but we ignored that and inquired about the birds available. We then asked if we could hold the bird we were interested in and she said No it's against policy because of Covid... Really how dumb. I'm not going to pay over $800 for a bird if I can't hold it. She assumed we were just lookie lou's and really was just flat out roud. When we told her we want to buy a bird today but we're not gonna do that if we can't see if we have a connection and how we feel about it by holding it, she fired back with why didn't you start with that. Needless to say we did not buy a bird from the store. As we were walking out my husband said that he wanted to talk to the manager and inform her how rude the employees was. Unfortunately the manager really wasn't any better.

Really a nice guy! Give me a lots advices... Love his shop and his dog! Friendly and goodness! You…read moremust come to see his 35 year old fish!!

This is the best Tropical fish store I know of, including those in Milwaukee and Chicago, for…read morefreshwater fish. Almost no salt water fish, but some supplies. Selection is better than the big box stores. Always has something unusual, as well. Specializing in African cichlids, they have a breeding group of Mbunas, plenty of interesting plecos, swordtails, platies and two 18" pacus (not for sale). Knowledgeable, friendly, reasonably priced and each tank is decorated and has its own filter. You will not find anything else like this.

I love little feed stores and this one is so lovely! It's sort of small as far as quantity, but…read morehigh quality and has the necessities. It's a little in the boonies and not accessible by bus, but worth the trip!

Brekke's is a Gem…read more Sure you can go to Brekke's for the wide selection, reasonable prices, quick service, or even free popcorn, but what keeps me going back to Brekke's is the Brekke family. They are fun to talk with, share good stories, they know their stuff, and they love each other. It is simply a delight to walk into their store. They have an array of pet foods, livestock foods, bird foods, they even have chinchilla feed. Apart from feed, there is also a great selection of pet toys, bird houses, and agricultural products. However, do yourself a favor and stop in on any spring day and check out the "seed buffet". This is an old fashioned counter of over 30 fresh seed types. You can hand pick and measure your own seeds to put in little envelopes or just explain to any Brekke that you'd like to grow any vegetable and they will step you though the options and measure out exactly how many seeds you need. Don't buy generic packs of too many or too few seeds, get the exact plants in the right numbers and enjoy a great chat with a Brekke. A great place to feel good about Iowa.

Fair warning, this is a long review, but if you're looking for a quality pet supply store and…read moreyou're on the fence, please read the full review. I'm embarrassed to say that I've lived in Ankeny for 2 years and hadn't found Wholesome Pet Essentials sooner. I told them that when I was in the store too! What a gem. This is exactly what every small town or neighborhood needs. Sure we have a big box pet supply store to shop at, but that's not what most enlightened, wise, local-loving, conscientious pet owners want. Some would consider me intense, and admittedly, I have very high standards. When it comes to anything for my dog, only the best will do. Wholesome Pet Essentials has the best! I found Wholesome Pet Essentials because I had been making my dog's food at home for the last few months, but just in the previous couple of days, she started eating dirt from my houseplants. After a quick search on the internet, I gathered that she was likely missing something from her diet. So even though I had been having decent success making her food from scratch, I figured if I messed it up this one time, it was time to hand it back to the professionals. I think I searched for "fresh dog food" or something. Unfortunately, I do not remember. But Wholesome Pet Essentials came up in my search, so I poked around their website a little bit, and I found a brand of raw food that I hadn't tried before and ordered online to pick up in-store later. When I came in to get the food, I browsed around. I saw some happy pups getting groomed in the back. The selection for both cats and dogs is astonishing! An employee asked if I was looking for anything in particular. I told her I wasn't sure how to explain what I was looking for, but I told her my dog had recently taken to eating dirt, and the employee knew what my dog needed! She knew she was missing some essential nutrients, and she suggested a small pouch of Flora4, which is a raw food topper that I hadn't heard of, but I'm so glad the employee suggested it. It has been 3 days since my visit to Wholesome Pet Essentials, and my dog stopped eating dirt, and she loves the new food! Shifting gears a bit. I'm pretty sure the woman who fetched my online order for me (not the same person who suggested the Flora4) is an owner, and she mentioned that they are expanding into the vacant space next door. The Textbook Outlet moved, and Wholesome Pet Essentials will be taking over that space. I am so excited for them, and I am thrilled that I found them! This is now my go-to spot for anything my dog needs. If you made it to the end of this review, you must really love your pet, too, because I know this is quite long, but I can't help it; I have lots of lovely things to say about the knowledgable and friendly people of Wholesome Pet Essentials!

I've only been once so far and am kicking myself for not going sooner. The staff is so friendly,…read moreknowledgeable, and they do a lot of rescue events to help find furever homes. This is actually how I ended up there, and I left with some goodies and a resolve to adopt another puppy from Hope Animal Rescue. I HIGHLY recommend for anyone in Ankeny with cats, dogs to get your stuff here! Also, they have a DIY bathing station. Sweet!

I had a great experience at Pet Supplies Plus in Ames. The store was clean and easy to navigate,…read morewith a good selection of products for different pets. The staff was friendly, approachable, and helped me find exactly what I needed.

5/5/26 3:30 p.m…read more Walk-in My husband and my daughter went in to get some goldfish for her new little tank that we got for her. The service from the staff was great, and they were all very friendly. They do have quite a decent selection of fish as well as other supplies and animals. The store is kept clean and organized. All of the animals look like they're in great condition and like they are very well cared for. The prices aren't too steep either. Overall, this is a nice location, and we will definitely be shopping here more often.

Star did an epic job on our inexperienced large white rescue dog. Their process is careful and…read morerespectful of a dog's fears and comfort. They take the dog through an orientation that prepares them for meeting the dogs special needs. We were living in a cloud of dog hair until Star gave him the furminator treatment. Highly recommended for price, care, procedure and caring!

Everything is great, but prices are a bit steep. But good place to get some quality products.read more

As a local dog trainer this pet store is a go to. I come here to train my dogs, buy supplies, and…read morebathe my dogs! I always recommend this pet store to others as well.

They have always done an excellent job grooming our elderly goldendoodle. Groomers are patient and…read morekind. They work very hard to provide a friendly, stress free experience.

It's probably a bit early to review but the initial session with Leslie was so beneficial to my…read moredog Alfie and to me having had the pleasure of learning and understanding the homeopathic approach of healing instead of traditional remedies like surgery and antibiotics for his torn ACL and Kidney stones..

Leslie is an amazing healer. I heard about her through a girlfriend who was getting cold laser…read moretreatments for her 10y/o shepards herniated disc. He went from being immobile to jumping in and out of the car again almost instantly after starting the laser treatment and green lipped muscle supplements. My dog is an 16.5 y/o hound who is in great health despite her most recent stroke which causes her left paws to be weaker and thus walk with a limp. On a house call to visit my girlfriend's dog, Leslie gladly looked my fur child over and recommended 2 supplements. The green lipped muscle was the one of the supplements she had on her to sell me, so my dog has been on it for 5wks dispensed at each feeding 2x/day, and the 2oz bag is still have full (at only $12/bag)! I have received numerous comments from friends and family who have noticed how much better her balance is, I notice her cognitive functioning is sharper she is more responsive and seems to hear my whistle again; she's aware of herself spatially so less stumbling, less falling; and an overall more energetic dog. I am so grateful for having met Leslie and her generosity to see us when she was really there to treat my friend's dog. It speaks to her commitment and passion to bring wellness to our fuzzy friends. And, to have a better quality relationship with my aging companion is an amazing gift. I highly recommend giving Leslie a call regardless of what your animal's aliment is, she is a caring, intuitive healer who is committed to facilitating health and wellness in your pet's life.

The staff are very friendly and the building is kept clean…read more I was visiting the cats and meeting the older orange guy named goldy, i hope he finds a home with a comfy lap! He is very sweet and loving, i would take him if i could. Jennifurr is an amazing volunteer and i just love how she cares for the animals.

I had to take a kitten in a few weeks ago because my two adult cats wouldn't accept it. I had only…read morehad it for about 2 weeks, but even so, I cried my eyes out when I took it in. I had never surrendered an animal before and felt so guilty doing so, but the staff was kind and supportive, and they assured me that he would start out in a foster home with other kittens before being adopted. By the time I left, I felt so much better, thanks to the wonderful staff.