My pup, Christal, would be mad at me right now if she found I gave Petsmart less than 5 stars. This Petsmart is HER store. She knows it inside and out.
PARKING/LOCATION: There is a lot of parking in front and around the entire plaza area it's located. Location is far enough from main traffic that it's easy to pull into from the back side roads from Gilman Dr. I usually take that way to avoid the speed bumps in the area. There is a poop station in front of the store, which makes it convenient for dog owners to walk their dogs before or after the visit to the store.
EMPLOYEES: Employees are very friendly here. Every time I make a purchase, they always let me snag a couple of treats for Christal from the cash register counter. ;)
PETSMART GROOMING: I was so bummed to hear that Christal's regular groomer, Kim, has gone MIA and is no longer working here. She does an excellent job with Christal all the time, even accomodating her immediate medical concern I have with her. I am one of the customers who believes in tipping (especially since Christal needs some extra TLC while being handled by grooming), and so Kim has always bumped me in to her busy grooming appointment schedule. Since she's gone, I have received a great Yelp referral of using Sarah instead, and she did such a good job with her last time. I have yet to see if she'll be consistently as good as Kim was. ;)
PETSMART HOTEL/DAY CAMP: Christal used to stay here overnight for several nights at a time when my husband and I took long trips. I always chose the suite for her (never the rooms). The rooms look like they're in a shelter, so I always feel weird thinking I'd leave here there. At least with the suite, there's four walls (to block out the sounds of depressed dogs), a glass door, a TV, a bed, and anything else I wanted to leave her with. . . .I knew she was always in the best care possible, and I could call them anytime I wanted to check up on her. All of the employees there knew her by name, and it's always amusing when she has a grooming appointment and we're both walking toward Grooming, and instead she heads straight for the Hotel (which is just next door).
During the holidays when they had Santa photo opps, Christal, my husband, and I decided to come in for a picture. We walked in, and "Santa" said out loud from "his" chair in a high-pitched voice (it was a female employee), "Is that Christal? Hi Christal!" Christal ran and scurried toward Santa. It was the cutest thing. ;)
I could even literally let go of her leash when we first enter Petsmart, and KNOW she'll head straight for the Hotel. That's how I know they're treating her really well. :) Since I've switched her to a raw food diet, she's been unable to stay overnight... only during the day. The Hotel refuses to handle raw foods. :( Huge, huge downside. I'm still seeing if I can find alternatives to her diet so she can stay overnight again.
PETSMART BANFIELD: Christal's regular vet. She first came here as a puppy when she had giardia and parvo. The vet at the time (Dr. Schlereth), took care of her, and because of him and his generosity, we were able to nurse her back to health. I still have yet to trust the other vets, but I haven't found anything wrong with them yet. Christal is on their Pet Wellness plan, so it doesn't cost us anything for her Comprehensive Exam or dental cleanings.
PRODUCTS: Everything is here, except for Christal's "groceries". They try to carry all the high-end natural foods too, but really, they're all commercial brands with corn-fillers, etc. Not good for dogs. I was so appalled with some of the ingredients in some of these dog foods and treats that I've switched her to a raw-food diet completely. We really come here now for their services. And toys. :) read more