The most caring and loving staff I have ever encountered. I groom there once per month, the prices are more than reasonable and the toy selection is amazing with better prices than Amazon and Petsmart. I highly reccomend this business to all of my family and friends. read more

Adopted a do from this place. She said they took it to the vet (a vet which had previously misdiagnosed my old dog and subsequently killed it). I should have trusted my better judgement but my husband really wanted that particular dog. Anyway, she handed over the paperwork from the vet and it all looked good. We get him home, and he is throwing up WORMS! We have another dog at home and Carrie knew this and let us adopt this dog anyway. Took him to the vet with the vomit sample and a stool sample to play it safe. Turns him out there were TWO types of worms! Shelters are supposed to make sure all that is cleared before adopting out pets. Not only is she putting sick pets up for adoption, but putting my other pet, who is completely healthy at risk! I am beyond pissed and disgusted! read more

Called ahead to confirm they groom large breed dogs. Got a quote for 125 plus or minus depending on how matted the dog is, etc. Scheduled an appointment for a few weeks out. That all was great. two days before the pre-scheduled appointment, I get a text reminder of my upcoming appointment and the time has been moved up by 2 hours. This is inconvenient during a work day, but I figure out a way to make it work. Appointment day comes and I show up on time and am greeted politely. They see my dog and ask if I was given a quote. I tell them what I was quoted and they say "oh no, it'll be a lot more than that. it'll be at least 225 and could go up from there.". I tell the lady again what i was quoted and ask if there's anything that can be done to work on the new quote to get it down to a number closer to the original quote. She offered no help and said "I don't make the prices. The owner does. I just work here.". I'm not one to fuss when things don't go according to plan, but this is really about the principal. Why even bother scheduling appointments if you're going to reschedule them without the other party agreeing to the new time? Why quote someone a price, then almost double it once they show up, after they've taken off work and driven a distance to bring their dog in? I just don't get it. I won't be going back and I wouldn't recommend this place to anyone because of this experience. Really frustrating. read more

I made an appointment for my Aussie doodle to be groomed and bathed. I was very excited as I am new to this area and was looking for a good groomer. The gal on the phone was friendly and helpful. I heard her tell someone else oh, your favorite dog! She also asked someone else, if the time that she had made for my appointment, would give them time to complete my dog. It sounded to me, like she was asking the groomer! The day of my appointment, two hours before I was supposed to be there, I received a call, supposedly from the groomer. This person told me that my appointment was made by mistake, as they were closing early, and she would not have time to do my dog before she was supposed to leave. Very disappointing! Guess I will see if I can find somewhere else in the area that's more reliable! read more

I have two rescues; a hound dog (62 lbs) and a chawinie (12 lbs). I have been taking them to Carries for close to two years now for nail trimming. The dogs will NOT allow me to trim their nails. The small dog needed to be muzzled at first, however the CC staff is so loving and awesome, he now tolerates the dremmal with NO muzzle!!! I see some negative reviews under this listing and under nearly every single negative review that I read, the writer does not understand dog adoption/ rescue or even the nature of dogs. Every single dog -- including a dog that you get from a breeder, requires training and a dog/ human bond. I saw reviews complaining about behavior and even "house training" as though the dog should be a mind reader. Wow. If you would like an awesome dog; there are plenty who need good homes. Do your research and have realistic expectations. Volunteer to be a dog walker for a shelter. This is a great way to get to know a dog before you adopt. Its also a terrific way to teach your teenager (who wants a pet) responsibility and commitment and it helps shelter dogs to de stress and increase their chances of adoption. But mostly -- shift your expectations to a range that is more consistent with the real world if you would like to increase your peace and serenity. I wish you well. read more

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Yikes this place is disorganized unprofessional and a little scary. surprised they don't sell nicotine and beer as well read more

They have always done a great job with our dog who is very skittish. We don't mind that we have to drive a little ways to get to them. It's always worth it! Thank you read more

I wouldn't even give a star to this place. You walk in the place is packed with things it smells like poop. The place needs to be deep cleaned. They have dogs in kennels right in front behind the register in small cages it's really bad read more

I recently moved to Yelm and needed a place to take my dog to get groomed. I was appalled when I walked in and to my left saw about 15 puppies all crammed together in two small cages. That screamed Puppy Mill to me...On top of that my easy to please often groomed dog came out of there clearly agitated and shaking. He has never done that before, even after going to the vet and getting shots! Then while looking at his feet they missed multiple clumps of hair. 50 bucks for a crappy grooming job and a filthy store. Gross. read more

I just adopted a sweet little dog from Carrie, she was very helpful during the whole experience, she made sure that we were a good home before letting us adopt. She really puts her animals first. If you are looking to adopt an animal please do not hesitate to do go to Carrie's Critters!!! read more

Carrie's Critters - My new little sweetie we adopted from Carrie. She was very kind and helpful throughout the adoption process. She really cares about her pets - Pet Stores Near Me - Yelm, Washington

I've been in to Carrie's twice now to have my 2 chihuahua's nails trimmed, and had absolutely no problems. She has a grooming table that she uses, but also asks if you'd like to hold your dog instead, which I appreciate, and I'm sure my dogs do too. One of my Chi's was abused before we got her, so she can be very skittish and nervous. Being able to hold her myself during the nail trim made it quick and easy! The shop has small dogs, cats and other animals you can adopt. And the pricing on the toys, dog clothing, ect. is very reasonable! I like the service my dogs and I get, so we will continue to go there! read more

Scheduled a grooming appointment for my two girls for today at 9am. I accidentally overslept and missed the appointment so I called to reschedule thinking I'd have to wait a few days and they wouldn't be in a hurry to get me in... I was wrong! They asked ME what time worked best for ME and fit me in the same day! Both of my girls look and smell great! And I showed up during the end of a groom and saw the groomer taking the dog out for a walk. Most groomers just put the dogs in a crate with a puppy pad. They also have TONS of adorable puppies! And unlike most other pet stores, the dogs are all in clean large sized cages. Every pup looked 100% healthy. I would feel comfortable buying a pet from them! Shoot, I almost wanted to walk out with another pug! The store is clean and they have some adorable dog beds! I highly recommend them for their grooming services. My silky terrier looks GREAT and my pug smells AWESOME! It's too bad that I live so far from Yelm or I'd bring my girls here every time. read more

We had been searching all over for a new family dog, that could also be a good fit for our in-home daycare. A friend referred us to Carrie's Critters where we found the perfect dog! I don't know where the negative reviews come from. Her place was clean and the dogs are fed high quality dog food. As she brought the dogs out for us to meet, they kept leaving us and running back to her, licking her all over. She had a loving bond with them. she was also less expensive than other places we'd looked at. I'd highly recommend her! read more

Carrie's Critters - Taking our new boy home. Thank you Carrie! - Pet Stores Near Me - Yelm, Washington

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I was very disappointed when I picked my Pomeranian Sophie. I paid $40. for a bath? she is very special to me, I've had her 13 years. She was not trimmed up at all. Be careful read more

Always nice and a warm welcome when you come in. Good with every animal and always finding good homes for their rescues. Love everything about this business! read more

After seeing such great reviews and seeing a sign in front of the store saying that Carrie's was voted as the best in the area I was excited to take my dog to get his nails trimmed. We are relatively new to the area and live in Yelm so I was excited to find a place that I could become a regular at. My first impression was great! The shop is in a good location, it looked friendly and inviting and the sign was fun and bright. I called today to see what a nail trim cost, about hours and to see if we needed an appointment. Nobody answered but I was offered to leave a voice mail. I left a voice mail and the return call was prompt. The store hours are really great and the nail trim is only $5 and the returning the call was friendly. So we walk in and immediately the good feeling is gone. The smell is horrible and there are several dogs pinned up in the entry with nothing more than a baby corral. I wasn't sure if they would jump over and attack since they were all going crazy barking. My first inclination was to just walk back out. It was loud and it smelled BAD. Some animals were freaking out and some just looked like they had given up. It was just sad in there. The lady that approached me didn't really greet me, just kind of looked at me like, "What do you need"? So I told her we just needed a nail trim. She asked me if I wanted to hold my dog. What? I figured they had a table and harness for grooming. Who is asked to hold their dog? I have gone to several groomers, from mom and pops places to the big box stores and they have never asked me to hold the dog. I should have know this was the start of a mess. So she took him to the back and had her co-worker hold my dog with a blanket wrapped around him. Did I miss something? I thought this place would be more professional since it has had such good review. It looked like they had it under control so I looked at some kittens with my kids. When she brought my dog back she told me that it would be $10. What?! What happened to $5? She explained that it was double the amount because they had to muzzle him and he nipped her finger. She showed me her finger and I honestly didn't see anything. So I paid her the $10 and while I paid she also mentioned that he peed on her too. So I'm wondering why you aren't wearing an apron AND harnessing or muzzling them anyway? Isn't that standard procedure? If I wanted such an unprofessional experience then I would have done it myself. Needless to say, I will not go back. I mean, is this normal for the area? I hope not. This place needs a good cleaning, less animals, prices/disclosures posted and a more professional staff. read more

A VERY unpleasant experience! Will never buy another pet from here again! My 6-year-old son's dog died of cancer. He was 10. He was horrified, so one day when we were out to lunch we happened on this place and my son fell in love with one of her kittens. He was so happy to have the kitten he named him Luke Skywalker. From the day we brought him home he was very sick. Moral. of the story, the kitten didn't even last 2 weeks before dying. Because of the busy holiday week, we weren't able to get him into the vet till Wed. Too bad he didn't' make it till then. I could NEVER live with myself if I lied to a grieving child just to make a quick buck. HOW PATHETIC! Oh, and there is a review of this place online claiming that animals die days after being purchased at this place. Well, we are PROOF that this statement is 100% FACT! read more

We have gone in to Carrie's Critters three times. When we first stopped in the store my husband and I were brand new dog owners having gotten our first dog only the day before from the Tacoma Humane Society. We were complete novices but eager to learn anything/everything about dog handling. I'll never forget how relieved I felt after Carrie and her compatriots supported us with helpful tips, knowledgeable advice and encouragement that assuaged my fears. She really increased our learning curve. The store was very busy at the time, but in the middle of that demanding three ring circus, Carrie was staying on top of everything. She is emotionally equipped to take a lot of simultaneous stimulation. My husband does nothing but joke and everybody was laughing and having a good time. We now have three little dogs and enjoy looking in pet stores along our travels. We hardly ever get to Yelm so it was all of two years later when we had the chance to go there twice in June 2014. Carrie remembered our initial visit down to the details, no kidding. My husband adds, "We are not easy people. We can try anybody's patience. We will be in a place an hour or more, pondering and not making up our mind, wasting people's time. Carrie is pleasant, gives us all the info we want, and never makes us feel we should leave. On all three visits, the dogs we viewed appeared healthy and happy so I would not hesitate to purchase one. The prices are very good in comparison even to the Humane Society. ($100 less)" Overall we have the impression Carrie's little business does good in this world. She appears to be cut out for the job as her caring is obvious for both pets and people. It can't be easy in this day and time to perceive what is true and what is not in how healthy an incoming dog is or whose home is a loving home. We hand it to Carrie for braving the stresses of self-employment & for managing the responsibilities of animals in need. We're proud of what she accomplishes. "You go, girl!" read more

We have done business with Carrie's Critters for several years. I have a rat terrier, Jack russell terrier and a chihuahua mix. Today when the dogs went in for grooming there seemed to be some confusion. The first was when my husband was called and told his dog was ready... turned out it wasn't our dog, not even close. Plus the handler dropped the dog on the floor when removing it from the crate. Our dogs weren't ready at all. Second pick up call... the price has always been $75 when we take the 3 of them in for bath and nails. A multiple dog discount of some sort. This time the girl wanted to charge $85. Apparently, husband paid $80 and brought the dogs home without their collars on. He gave no reason for that. Husband was told that there was a medical emergency so the owner was gone. I get that but what I don't get is why the dogs were mishandled, why the wrong pet owner was notified and why the price changed. Would love to hear from the person in charge with a reasonable explanation. read more

I've taken both of my dogs to carrie's. They both come out looking great. Would recommend. Only complaint is the sign for a recent parvo outbreak. read more

I personally enjoy supporting this local business whenever I get the chance! My husband and I have been stopping by for almost 3 years now and have always had really good experiences. My only wish would be for a bit wider selection in reptile supplies, only because we run a small just starting our reptile rescue though. read more

What a blessing Carrie's Critters is. She saves so many animals that would normally be put down. She came highly recommended by Yelm Veterinary Hospital. We walked in just to look...and walked out with our little sassy ! read more

I remember when I first heard about this pet store, all I heard was about the terrible smell of the store. Now, I admit it doesn't always smell great inside but it doesn't smell terrible. Carrie and her crew seem to be dedicated to helping animals--I am constantly seeing new dogs brought in from puppy mills, getting that chance at a great new life. I even got my ferret, Silas, there. Although what I heard about it at first was bad, I don't seem to see a problem with this place. If you are looking for a dog who needs a loving home, check out Carrie's and give these puppy mill dogs and puppies a chance! read more

Ewwww. The store's fish tanks are full of algae. The bird cages had tons of feces in the bottom. The dogs for grooming were just throw together in a single room- no cages or anything. It SMELLS in there to beat all. Crickets are here, but they give you tons of those weird soldier fly larvae with them. I probably won't be back. Ick. read more

My teenager paid $250 to "adopt" a terrier mix from Carrie's. The dog is not house trained, jumps on the table to eat table scraps, barks incessantly, and apparently becomes possessed by the devil any time she sees a leash. At first, I was angry with my son for bringing the dog home so irresponsibly, and without asking permission. But then I found a packet that came home from Carrie's with the dog. There are dozens of hoops you have to promise to jump through- the dog can not spend more than 4 hours outside, the dog cannot be gifted or sold to another party, if you become unable for any reason to care for the dog you must surrender it back to Carrie's without a refund. Because they care about dogs and want them to have good lives, right? Wrong. They sold a problem dog to a TEENAGER without a job. $250 for an ill-mannered mutt is preposterous. If you are searching for a furry, forever addition to your family, be forewarned. Carrie's is only in the business of recycling problem dogs for an astronomical profit. read more

i have to say i won't be going back. my dog came out ok. she didn't listen and didn't cut her hair short enough. i didn't know the groomers terminology while i was trying to explain to her what i wanted and she came off pretty rude to me as well as in the middle of our conversation she started speaking to someone else. my biggest complaint is that they sell animals there, the dogs are in clear boxes with what appears to me to be too many dogs in each. the cats are in open cages but again seem as though there are too many in each. with shelters overrun with animals why are they selling them? either way i won't be returning. gale read more

My wife found a puppy that looked like a promising replacement for our beloved 13yo dog that recently went to dog heaven. So we jumped in the car, braved the snow and ended up at Carrie's Critters in Yelm. The puppy tail-wagged his way into our hearts in about 30 seconds and we were ready to take him off Carrie's hands until we read her version of an "adoption agreement." Sigh. Only at gunpoint (and probably not even then) would I sign such an unreasonable, one-sided and unabashedly intrusive agreement. Basically, it gives Carrie the right to drop by your house any time (no call ahead, no appointment) and pass judgment on your treatment of "her" pet. And she also wants to insert herself into your relationship with your vet. If she doesn't like any of it, she can take "her" pet back...with no compensation to you, no due process, no arbitration, no nothing. In essence, your new pet from Carrie's is on a lifelong, revocable loan. I can't speak for anybody else, but I already get enough busybody micromanaging in the world we live in: I don't need to sign up with Carrie for even more. Although she explained her reasons for insisting on being your lifelong Pet Nazi, it was her way or the highway. This is not the kind of person I will ever do business with. Sorry, Puppy. We would have loved to love you...but not if we have to have Carrie in the bargain. read more

Thanks for squeezing me in on short notice! My long haired cat had an "accident" all over her backside and she wouldn't let me clean her. I brought her in and they had her looking good in a matter of minutes! Thanks again! read more

Terrible job. I could have done it myself and saved $45.00. Wasn't too pleased with the service either. Definitely will not take my dogs there again. read more

Carrie's Critters has a great groomer. She is creative and recommends what style is best for the pet and its lifestyle. I take my Peekapom for grooming about every other month and have been happy each and every time. They are great at getting you in the schedule. The shop is clean. Lotsa cute pups. I love the idea of the rescue dogs now too. Thanks! read more

A month ago we adopted a puppy for $250, he was super adorable and a seemingly healthy 2 month old. As soon as we brought him home he was constantly scratching and was broken out in bumps and scaly skin.. turns out he was infected with a rare form of scabies (mites) that was contracted at Carrie's Critters. We ended up spending twice the cost of the adoption fee to try and rectify his condition. I do not recommend visiting Carrie's Critters unless you want to end up spending a ton of money. read more