One of my favorite local pet stores! I've been coming here for years now. They have a lot of great products for small animals. I would always buy my enrichment toys for my rats and rabbit here. The staff has always been friendly and helpful when I've had questions. I recently adopted a puppy, and I was impressed to see that they have a lot of good products in stock such as duck heads, raw hide alternatives, lamb ears etc. They're also one of the only places I have found that carries items for raw feeding. This is one of the pet stores that I always take people to and you can always find at least one thing to buy. read more

This place was okay my first few visits, but I don't think I'll be returning anytime soon. At lot of the items are really overpriced. The moss I picked up cost three times what it does online. I wish I had checked online first. But what really turned me off is that I was going to donate one of my rat litters to them (donate, NOT sell), and when I brought them in the "rat expert" said they had ear mites. Funny, I had never seen any sign of ear mites like excessive scratching or scabbing, but I took them all to see the small animal vet. Of course, there were no ear mites. I had a feeling, and I don't know why, when I walked in the door with them that they weren't going to take them, and I don't know why. They treated me strangely--a little rudely though I called ahead. Whatever the reason, it's too far to drive after confirming just to get told, "Oh, we don't want these." They do have a lot of merchandise, and the employees seem to care for the animals. Just price compare before going and take everything the employees say with a grain of salt. read more

This place is extremely overwhelming with the multitude of choices. I came in for quail blocks and sadly they don't sell them. Good thing I have a cat and dogs. read more

Desert Pet Center - Pet Stores Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

Open the door and the reek punches you in the face. Windows boarded up. Poor place is in a decaying strip mall, but the Asian market I love next door doesn't smell like anything but fresh herbs and pho broth spice to me. I feel sad for the koi in that pet store, so I don't think I'll go there again. read more

I get my dogs raw food here, the only place in town that carries Steve's Raw. The staff is always happy and helpful.

We went in on a weekend and were looking specifically for female bettas. They actually had a decent selection, but we had to wait quite a while for the employee to pick out the ones she wanted to take home. Even after she went through them, she grabbed every one we looked at and said, "Sorry, that one is taken too. I just forgot to grab it." We drive 3 hours to get there and we're planning to spend $300-500 dollars on various items. We left with nothing because of how rude the employee was and the fact that anything we showed any interest in, she grabbed to claim. read more

Absolutely the best experience for a first time turtle owner. Molly was great!! She got us the right size tank, all the equipment that we needed to get set up. She gave us instructions on what to do to help us feel confident and comfortable setting up our new turtle. read more

We love this place. We have been coming here for years! From the moment you walk in to when you leave you feel like family. They know what your pet likes. They are very informative about all their product and what's best for your furry baby. Remi loves you guys! read more

Fantastic locally owned pet store. Been going there since I moved into the neighborhood in 2020. Great option to have vs. the large corporate box stores. read more

Because they have a problem refunding your money if your fish dies before the warranty, they said I had high ammonia and my water which is a lie because my husband is the one that dropped off the fish and the water sample. I checked it immediately with a liquid test kit and the water was perfect. They wanted to give me an exchange another fish. I do not want another sick fish in my tank, I'm already treating the ones that are probably sick now. read more

This is one of my favorite pet stores in Tucson. Although it has gotten smaller over rhe years they have a pretty good assortment of live animals, fish, and reptiles. Recently they boarded my bird for $7 a day to include fresh fruit and food. They are also going to trim his wings and nails. Price wise they extremely competative. They also have a huge assortment of food and pet products. I have purchased several live animals here and have not had any issues. read more

I have been using this store for years every person that works there is nice and friendly.ESPECIALLY Jennifer always asks how can I help you I would recommend this store for all of your exotic pets and cats dogs for food and supplies read more

Exceptional service and knowledge provided by Shannon (the rat whisperer). She was not only kind but very knowledgeable of ratties and their likes and dislikes; if you would like to find out more about pet ratties go see Shannon she is awesome Kudos and thank you!!! read more

Lots of variety of pets. Friendly knowledgeable staff. Cat trees, bunnies, fish and reptiles. Great place

I love this place! It's a 5-star pet and pet supply store, clean, not smelly at all, friendly staff, great selection of fish, foods, pets, supplies, etc. Prices are competitive to other stores, customer service exceeds other stores. I have since stopped buying all of our dog foods from my other longtime local, small business who just does not have the same customer service as Desert Pets. Hands down, they are our go-to, we only wish we had found them sooner than this past fews months, but now we go 2-4 times per month! What only 4 stars? One reason: It's nearly impossible to read the tags and pricing on the tanks. I have to use my phone on every single one to take a picture and enlarge it. It's too tedious and gets annoying after the first one. I really have stopped shopping for fish here because there is not a readable price tag or product indicator on the tanks. Use legible tags!! I just don't even want to look at the tags, see what's in the tank in comparison to the tags, nor do I have much desire to buy when I don't know the pricing. This is really unacceptable and should be fixed. Writing on the tanks is a standard, and it's larger and legible. I would appreciate it and it would earn you a #5 star. read more

I actually liked this place at first but then I realized I was getting hustled with the pricing. I understand business is business but legit I cant get anything on an actually sale unless Im purchasing something that is not brand name. So here is my story I returned 8 fish that I purchased after they got to big for my tank and I simply just asked for some type of store credit or discount on another fish. The employees had the nerve to really say no & that they only take donations. Which means I will take your fish for free and sell them for a profit. TF That right there was the ultimate hoe shit I heard in 2022 8 African Ciclid about 3 inches each would be about $100 dollar, and you can give me a discount on a $20 dollar fish.... I just left the 8 fish and walked out. Ive spent a good amount of money at this location but never again will I spend another dollar. read more

wish I could rate a zero! my roommates and I have been looking for fostering cats. This place said on the phone with two different workers "we have cats for fostering". when we showed up they were nothing but rude and cruel. The worker that talked to us in the store was claiming they only have cats to adopt and they don't foster. And said "we don't foster, we sellllllll cats" in a sassy tone. Please don't go here ever! read more

This place just disgusts me, the poor animals here are in such small and inadequate cages. The animals are clearly not separated by sex, and appear sick. Places such as these disgust me, I hope it gets shut down. No animal deserves to be in pet stores like these. If I could give a worse rating I would. read more

Did not like the place. The few reptiles they had were in tiny cages, bearded dragon was cold, corn snake had no hide or water. Feeder mice looked lethargic and "bedraggled ". Frozen mice was astoundingly expensive. The woman managing was just berating the young guy working there to hurry up, do better, etc, in front of customers. read more

I am so glad I found this hole in the wall local pet store. It is definitely not fancy it looks pretty crummy on the outside but it's what's on the inside that matters ;-) They have a good selection of higher quality dog and cat food brands and are happy to make special orders if needed. There are a A bunch of random dog treats and chews at a fraction of the price compared to the big box pet stores. read more

If you want to support local go to EEE. Tell everyone you know in the Tucson area not to support Desert Pet. I always heard terrible things about their animal care but today i experienced it first hand. I was looking at their reptiles when i saw a bearded dragon with severe tail rot that appeared infected. I was shocked and when I alerted a cashier they said, "oh yeah I saw that Saturday but forgot to say something". Then when informing a manager they were not concerned by this at all, they said they could sell it to ME at a discounted price but couldn't go lower than 49.99 and then said they would sell it full price to someone else. I was in tears leaving that poor baby behind because it's in desperate need of vet care that they seemed to have no intention of giving. Please, if you need animal supplies go to EEE, go ANY WHERE but here. read more

Desert Pet Center - A vet needs to remove the dead part of the tail and remove any more dying/infected tissue. - Pet Stores Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

This place is absolutely huge for a pet store, but bigger isn't always better. The store is set up in three separate sections with large fish and small mammals on the left side, pet products and food in the center and fish and reptiles in the right. The whole store has a kind of disorganized look to it as there are items all over the place, not placed in sections. They have a ton of fish tanks, but they are in 10 gallon tanks rather than the normal pet store set up. The tanks are kind of dirty and don't have very dense fish populations. They don't even have many exotic looking fish. The reptile section was extremely small, but their animals looked healthy and their prices were reasonable. They had your basic common reptile pets like anoles and green iguanas. Maybe I've gotten spoiled living near Phoenix, but this store wasn't anything really special. read more

Desert Pet Center - Desert Pet Front - Pet Stores Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

Really happy I found an affordable place to go for my finch food. Very nice and knowledgeable employees and I love all the local flyers for community activities as well. Don't go to Petsmart or Petco. Support your local pet stores. read more

Desert Pet Center - $2.59/lb for premium finch food. Would be $15-20 for 2lb bag at any other corporate pet store. - Pet Stores Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

Was going there alot..just ths week a employee told me I could not buy something because THEY where gonna get it. Keep in mind IT JUST GOT TO THE STORE.Was still in the bag. Not cool on there part. Then got shrimp and pointed out that they where dead and they said..ITS OK WE PUT EXTRA. Got home and half them died. We talking 10 shrimp. Had video from the store showing there dead and when I got home. read more

(Reviewing this place for their sunday pet fair vaccinations and some store exploring) Came here during their pet fair to get my dog his updated shots. The wait is so long even with scheduled appointment, nonetheless, it's low cost vaccination. The vet and her technician were very pleasant and took care of my Kiva. The store itself is clean and seemed very well stocked and does not smell like a typical pet store. They have affordable doggie treats that are sure hit for your dog. Their live critters and fishes interests my kid so, that's what he did while we wait for our Kiva to get vaccinated. It's also a plus that the person who worked here seemed to be very knowledgeable about what they sell here. read more

I've been by my dog food after the last two years Victors Dog Food the only place in town that carries it for a reasonable price not any much more than what Chuey sells it for great service great customer great customer the people are very good there they help you with your bags out to your car I would highly recommend Desert Pet to anyone who owns a pet very knowledgeable people read more

BEWARE - Even if you have an "account" with this store and they know what you have purchased, they will not give you a refund without receipt. Clerk couldn't answer why, only stated this was policy. In my case this was $130 worth of dog food. I'll never set foot in Desert Pet again. read more

I called Desert Pet looking for some Nerite snails and the staff member told me what he had and the price. When I arrived there were a few people looking around so I went to the counter where Anthony was alone and told him I called about the snails. We went to the fish area and chatted about what I was looking for in my new aquarium. As he was bagging the snails another shopper asked which of us was working. I wasn't done shopping but told Anthony to take care of her while I looked around. After helping a few other shoppers he returned and apologized for the delay as he was alone and we continued our conversation. I told him I understood and it was not a problem. After telling him of a feeding problem with some of my fish he recommended a different food. It worked great and they are eating better now. Some others had negative comments on some areas I did not explore but the fish area looked good, healthy fish and a nice selection. There was NO outstanding smell and yes the store was old but Anthony was well versed in fish and a pleasure to deal with. Big chain stores may be newer and better lit but once we recover from the covid-19 virus I will be a regular customer. Anthony and I both had masks and observed a safe distance but none of the other customers did. I'll be back! read more

Desert Pet does not stand behind their guarantee. "Water sample required". A Silver Dollar fish died 8 hours after purchase. In addition, they mix new shipments of fish directly into other fish so possible contamination. No local breeders like there once was. Will not go back to this business. read more

The place is not fancy like Pet Smart but I am not there for the aesthetics. Twenty years I have shopped there with nothing but great service. If they do not have something they will special order for me no extra charge. They carry out for me. It is nice to hear hi when you walk into a store. I have even bought a rabbit and cat from this store. read more

It used to be everyone's go-to pet store, always crowded and busy, Sy ran a kick-ass store! He retired and unfortunately sold to a chain. Now they sell puppies and kittens, downsized the awesome fish department to an... eh. Lost all the dedicated and knowledgeable employes and hired don't give a crap dumb kids. It's all very sad. I don't shop there anymore. read more

I really like Desert Pet, where I go once a week to get dog bones and a feeder mouse for my snake, and once a month buy a 40 lb bag of Science Diet for the dogs. If you are used to buying Science Diet from the big pet stores I can save you $ by telling you to get it at Desert Pet instead where it always seems to be about 8 to 10 dollars less. They also have a buy 10, get one free, so that's great. Just keep the upc codes from your bags. I can understand people's frustration about service as sometimes you have to wait to find a sales person to ring you up. This is not a corporate store though, so don't expect it to be staffed like one. Overall, I just really like the vibe of Desert Pet and I like that I'm supporting a local business by going there. Who cares if you have to wait a few minutes more? read more

Local pet store. They aren't the best pet store in town, but they aren't bad either. I buy fish once in a while when they have something I like. Always inspect the tanks first though for disease. They also carry a wide variety of pet foods, which I like. They sell live blackworms too, which is fish food, but strangely they call it bloodworms. read more

I have been a regular patron of Desert Pet Center for a number of years now for a variety of pet needs and have always found their animals, products, and customer service to be top notch. I do not, however, go here for every single animal-related purchase I have which is probably the main reason for the 4 stars instead of the 5: I wish the convenience was there for me and my pet needs to have a one stop shop with a local store, but I also understand why it isn't and probably just can't be. The most frequent reason I go here is for my bearded dragon. The supplies available for lizards and their terrariums are well stocked and well priced. I like the selection of products they have, and I REALLY appreciate the frequent buyer card they offer for crickets (buy 100 in advance, get 20 free), or as my wife calls it, their "cricket of the month club". The people there seem to know a lot more about having and owning beardies than a lot of other stores too, which I appreciate. I used to have a fish tank and I purchased a few fish from them when they used to have the huge fish section next door. That was a pretty sweet setup and I was sad to hear that their lease was up on it and had to downsize. Those fish however always did well, and the selection again was phenomenal. I have on occasion purchased a thing or two for my dogs and cats here but for the most part I don't. The reason? I find the prices to be too high. I can't find too much a fault in the store for this, though. They are small compared to Petsmart or the like, and I prefer to feed my dogs pedigree. They don't even carry pedigree here last I checked probably because they cant really compete on the price. It would make sense that they would choose to offer the more "boutique" dog foods and cat foods for that reason, but I'm just not interested in spending literally twice as much for half as much food for my mastiff who eats like a horse. I usually skip things like dog and cat toys here for the same reason. But the fact is that I do come here quite regularly for a number of very specific things. Some people have complained about sick animals, I will attest to never having seen that. One lady gave 1 star because their animals (I assume the cats and dogs) are rescues and not from "reputable sources" (ie puppy mills)? Are you kidding? Get an education lady. You're a terrible person. If their adoptable animals are rescues, I applaud them. So in summary, I wish it was a one stop shop, but I don't think I can realistically have that, so Im very happy with what I can get from here and will continue to loyally patronize this place. read more

This is the ONLY place in town where I will buy fish for our tanks. The staff is knowledgeable, the tanks are pristine, and the supplies are reasonably priced. Sometimes, the staff can be a little brisk, but it rarely bothers me as I dont need the dog and pony show and chitty-chatting. I drive 30 minutes just to go to Desert Pet Center and wouldn't consider another store for my fish. :) read more

It's worse than ever. They have dead and dying animals on their sales floor that haven't received vet care. The animals they have for sale are "rescues" not high quality pets from a reputable source. I only went in because someone sent me really sad pictures of a sick animal. I went in myself and confirmed the pictures were real. read more

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Update: the aquarium section as has gone downhill since the aquatics manager left. i'm sad about this because that was my main reason for frequenting desert pet. still some good prices on dog food (i buy Taste of the Wild here), and a good assortment of supplies for other pet keepers, though. read more

I liked this place from the moment i walked in because a women immediately asked me what i was looking for and pointed me in that direction. I did not meet another person who worked their so that was kind of a bummer. Their prices were really good and competitive. The store was very large and focused primarily on Fish and Aquariums. They had a fridge of just about everything a fish could eat, including various types of plankton. The Dog and Cat area was very comprehensive and Im sure it would be a good resource for you dog/cat people. There were lots of cool reptiles, snakes, and two types of Scorpions. This place did not smell of urine and the open space felt comfortable to walk through. I would recommend this place to you because I would continue to shop there. read more

I absolutely adore this place. They clip my guinea pigs nails. They have everything I need for my turtles, cats, and dog. The clerk Jen is amazing and really informative. Plus this is locsl. Support our community!! read more

Desert Pet Center - Rabbits!! - Pet Stores Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

Super annoyed and upset. I got my son a baby corn snake 3 WEEKS AGO. We have fed her every ten days just like the pet store told us, we kept her water full, we held and loved her, her tank was at the perfect heat. I've had snakes I've never had one die after only 3 weeks, snakes are hella resilient. I've seen snakes completely uncared for and still survived. Only to call desert pet and have them tell me there's nothing they'll do about it. I'll be sure to go to ever exotics for my reptile needs from now on read more