Matt is sensational! He orders egg food for me on a regular basis, and is extremely prompt with his notification upon its arrival. This is what customer service is all about. Thank you Matt! read more

Have been frequenting this pet shop since I was a adolescent buying crickets for my pet frogs. Back in the day they had a live Cayman in the shop, which was always fun to see. So glad this establishment has survived the times, I take my youngest daughter there on a regular basis to pick up crickets for her tiny pet lizard. A true SB gem! read more

They always have what I need. They're of the beaten path. They're very helpful. I've been to two other pet stores in santa barbara recently. Both were understaffed and had tons of clutter, boxes of product with nothing on the shelves. This stores had No one available to help. But SENSATIONAL PETS ALWAYS HAVE FULL SHELVES, A CLEAN STORE AND A HELPFUL STAFF. read more

Sensational pets is an amazing local pet store here in Santa Barbara. We go there for all of our pet needs. we have three lizards, a bunny, a tortoise, a turtle and I imagine we'll have more soon! the owner, Matt, is a great guy. He actually allows kids to intern at the pet store, learning about all of the creatures and developing maturity and responsibility. All in all, this is definitely the best pet store in Santa Barbara! read more

This is the coolest pet store in town, my son loves it! They have everything from birds to reptiles and fish!

I am very impressed with the way they care about the animals they sell. However, I am not happy with their "hold" on a desired pet. There was someone else ahead of me for a certain pet, but I put my name down anyway, having seen the animal the week prior and really falling in love. I received no call and assumed it was sold. Yet another week later, it's still there. My guess is that customers who give their phone numbers as a hold are expecting a call, and if they aren't home, a message... It wasn't clear that I would have to call before I'd come back in to declare my intention to purchase. Perhaps that's why the same animal is still there almost a month after I first saw it. I was so annoyed that I didn't go in and ask about it again. The price also seemed on the high end. I'm going to do more looking. read more

These folks are terrific. Helpful, friendly staff. If they don't have something in stock, they will do their best to get it for you.

This pet store has a pretty good selection of pet reptiles and tarantulas. I've started coming here for live food - they sell live baby mice that are often born/raised on site. It seems like they are usually pretty minimally staffed and it's a small store - if they have multiple customers come in needing help and you happen to call them on the phone, it might take forever to get an answer to your question. But the staff that has helped me has been polite and professional. I'm glad they're here as it's hard to find some of the live prey food that they offer and their prices are very fair. read more

This pet store really is Sensational!! I came here with my son just to check out the bearded dragons and Chameleons since he's been wanting one or the other. I'm so glad I came across this place here on Yelp because I didn't know it even existed! They seem to have the best variety here in town if you are looking for reptiles, snakes, and turtles. They range in many different sizes. They also have a small selection of fish, birds, guinea pigs and rabbits. The guys that work here seemed pretty helpful and friendly. If you've been to every pet store here in town searching for reptiles and snakes then I highly recommend you check this place out! I will definitely be back here. read more

See all

Devin was so nice and helpful in the purchase of our leopard gecko! He was so informative and did not make us feel like we were overpaying. He would even tell us if he was 'upselling' us for a certain item. Extremely thankful and our sweet gecko, Pumpkin is such a joy for us! Thank you Devin and team! We will be back! read more

Sensational Pets - Pumpkin our 3 month old leopard gecko - Pet Stores Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

it's the only place I'll buy fish from in town. They're awesome. They take great care of their tanks, run the right kind of water, and are very knowledgeable. They'll special order anything you need from reputable places, make sure they come in with no ich, etc. I've got a 60 gallon fresh water tank and have probably bought 50+ fish from them over the last 18 months. Matt, the new owner, is great. And I'd say this is probably not their speciality either - reptiles and amphibians seem to be something they crush too but not my thing. read more

Sensational Pets - Orange Parrot, Paradise fish, Glo Tetras, golden and cherry barbs, madagascar rainbows - Pet Stores Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Bought my son's Greek tortoise and Beta fish here, and come regularly for crickets and supplies once a week. This is a truly unique and full-service pet store. All the employees own reptiles and have a ton of knowledge about everything they sell. They have an extensive assortment of exotic pets such as snakes, turtles, tortoises, chameleons, spiders, lizards birds and fish, and the right foods (also cat and dog foods) and equipment to care for them all. You can also leave your critters there for pet sitting. There is no place else around like it! read more

After a few weeks of bonding with our beardie Hoshi or "little dude" as he's known to our family we want to thank all the guys at Sensational Pets for their help getting us properly set up to bring Hoshi home. We got great advice as first time reptile owners, quality products, and honest information. The best part was bringing home a rescue beardie who is happy and thriving. Highly recommend this great local pet store for all your pet's needs. read more

See all

I love this pet store, some of the nicest people ever run this store, a pleasure to do business here ~Roxanne Ross myartrox.com read more

Best Pet Store in Santa Barbara! Has everything I need to take care of my 100+ pets! Great staff, awesome owner. Unique specimens always available :D /X\(;;)/X\ SHOP LOCAL! read more

See all

Terrific, knowledgeable, caring service. Matt thinks of all the little details an owner should consider/ know about. SB is lucky to have such a wonderful locally owed store. G & K read more

This is the best local pet shop! They are all super helpful, knowledgeable and also generous with their willingness to go the extra mile to help their customers. Thank you! read more

Amazing staff! So friendly informative informative, and helpful! Focused towards reptiles. But they also have fish, birds and rodents/bunnies for sale, along with the usual variety of supplies for all pets. Better prices on supplies then Petco/petsmart. Local gem. read more

Honest proprietor and kind help. The store is clean and well stocked. The aquariums were clean with beautiful fish and the the store felt fresh. Thank you for running a good local business. read more

Shaun and the team are amazing, and genuinely care about animals. I've been a long time customer starting from getting crickets for my anoles to now weekly meals for my family of snakes. His selection of reptiles is like no other in town, and pretty much anything you need for your fluffy or scaly family member, he'll have, or get order to store super quick. Locally is the only way to go if you really want the best for your pets, you won't get service and genuine animal care from Petco or PetSmart. The staff is trained and very knowledgeable on many types of animal, so you know whatever you buy for your pet, it'll be exactly what it needs. read more

My son wanted a cameleon. We marvel at the beautiful cameleons they have in their store. (The staff will sometimes let one of my sons feed the cameleons a cricket.) But, based on our expectations as to the experience with the pet, they educated us as to the best pet for us. We are SO happy with our pet bearded dragon. When ever we are in the store, knowledgeable, helpful, kind, attentive staff attend to us. All staff seem rightfully focused on being an advocate for the pets, educating the public and providing quality and care. I couldn't speak more strongly in their support and I know others who echo these sentiments. Great job Sensational Pets. Thank you. Sincerely, Beth and family. read more

This is the nicest help I have ever met. They care about the pets they are selling and want them to go to good homes. Time is spent explaining about each pet and how to care for them. It is a good experience just to go and visit. I will return often. B.J. Ellersieck read more

Great animals honestly. But the chubby guy who worked there refuse to sell me animal because I didn't want to buy a used tank there. Told me he has seen people put them in boxes and needs to know for-sure I had one cause I didn't want the setup he offered. First off wtf that has to do with me not buying the tank there?? Told me had to pull up with tank in the trunk so he would know for-sure. Hope u feel this review like how I felt as a grown man convincing u I can just get the tank right after elsewhere. Have a good one hope learn to shut up. read more

I absolutely LOVE this pet store! The staff are awesome, the prices are reasonable! I buy 95% of my pet supplies here. They are a small store and I have to order a few items on line. I have four dogs, two cats and a bearded dragon. I'm always welcomed with a big "Hi Kim, how are you"? Sean (the owner), Lina, Steven and mostly Rosie are awesome! Love this store, customer service and the employees! I also love to support our small business' as often as possible. If you haven't been here then go check them out!!! Rosie has even come to my house to help me with my injured cat! read more

Sensational Pets - Pet Stores Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

I have to admit that while I did get a bad impression from this place since the first visit, I've gone back many more times since and it's just gotten worse. The first time I visited I noticed just how gross the place is. The area behind the register and shelves is covered in a thick layer of dust. Ages of it. Some of the shelves are as well. Looking in the second room only gets more appalling. The area near the sink and the rear of the store in general really is filthy with black mold in some areas, neglected water damage and even more dust. No person would want to live in those conditions, so why would I want to board a reptile or amphibian here? A better question; why would anyone want to even WORK in those conditions? Then comes the problem with their crickets. We buy 30 and 2 days later 20 are dead. This has already happened more than once and we don't have the problem with anyone else crickets. Finally, and most importantly why is it necessary to give such assured (and often detailed) advice when it takes so little to find out if you have any clue what your talking about. On several occasions we've asked for advice (when purchasing something) and ever since the first time that I suspected the young girl thats always there was guessing a bit, we kept asking for advice. And more and more we realized that either she didn't quite understand the questions or more frequently she just kept giving detailed and even cautionary advice that we could either disprove at other stores or verify our doubt with simple google searches. Why would anyone do that? What's the benefit to them or the customers? After so many dead crickets, filthy store conditions, really high prices and bad advice there is no good reason to shop here. read more

Exceptionally great experience - We normally buy our food online but ran out due to a timing issue. Using Yelp to find the best pet food location, I found myself at Sensational Pets. When walking in, I was greeted courteously and asked if I needed help. Sean gave me a full break down of the cat foods and helped me get the best substitute to what I normally purchase. He was so knowledgeable that I'm canceling my online orders to support Sensational Pets! I love helping a small business owner and would highly recommend this location for any pet lover. Any of the previous negative comments weren't noticed on this visit. read more

Ive always gotten my finches here. Every one of them has been high quality: they all are healthy, radiant in color or pattern, and lived/are living long lives. Great local business that I strongly advocate for ! read more

I have been coming to this location for many years and since Sean took over the operation it has been much improved. I appreciate that the hours are 9 to 7 because I often need something before 10 or after 6 and Best of all, the staff are so willing to help and very knowledgeable - support local small business read more

Everytime I walk in this store I am greeted by friendly and knowledgable staff. They have taken care of our gecko while we're on vacation and do so for other pets. This is an invaluable service as I know our pets are getting the best care. The prices are lower than other pet stores in our area. I highly recommend these guys! read more

Wonderfully nice staff and a decent selection of animals, fish & reptiles.

Awesome place to go for reptiles and amphibians. The staff is extremely knowledgeable and has some great recommendations on care and handling. I do think some of their species are a little overcrowded, and the prices of some of their birds are a tad high, but otherwise it's an amazing place to shop. read more

We didn't know what was wrong with our pet leopard gecko, so my 12 year old son and I brought her into Sensational Pets. Sean was very patient and polite as he helped diagnose what was wrong with her. He treated our gecko with calcium drops to help her bones and gave us suggestions for continued care. What great service! read more

I visit them at every reptile expo I attend and they are very helpful, don't push a product on you, don't try to sell you something for your reptile that you don't need, are knowledgeable, and listens to the questions I have. Sean remembers my boyfriend and I every time we stop by their booth, which is always a nice feeling. If they weren't so far away, we'd shop the store. Prices are good which is why we stop there for supplies at the expos. Staff is always nice and friendly, product looks in good condition and we've never had something not work but I'm sure if so, they'd try to help as best as they can. 5 stars for sure! read more

This store has amazing customer service! Super nice workers and owner. Good prices and always very helpful.

It hurts me to give this pet store such a low rating. I've decided to finely write this review after my last visit. Purchased 40 crickets and nearly half of them died the next day. Mind you I buy large amounts of crickets up to 80 at a time and NEVER had this happen with any other store. It's happened both times I purchased crickets here. Also. The staff, while confidant in the care info they tell you about tree frogs actually don't know as much as they will lead you to believe. Sometimes it's better to say "I don't know" or "I'm not sure" rather than give a wrong answer. It's a shame. Everyone seems so friendly. Also. Take a good look around. You'll notice this store is actually really filthy. Dust and dirt everywhere. It's kinda gross. Look behind the register, and in the back of the store. You'll see what I'm talking about. To bad! I really wanted to live this place. read more

They are great. Sean has alot of knowledge or reptiles. Very helpful an wonderful pet store. If he doesnt have it he will order it for you. Check it out read more

I've been buying my pet supplies here for a long time. The staff is always friendly and helpful!! Support local!

Great store, great owner with great ethics, great prices. Some bad reviews say that the store is dusty... They stock big so they can provide their few customers with fair/competitive prices. They actually have the best prices in town and are not the biggest store in town. Other bad reviews complain about animals that mysteriously died from this store but not others - if you can't tell what the problem is you can't say it's the stores fault and you can't expect the owner to fix the problem. Distributors often sell bad fish - Petco and Petsmart get their fish from Segrest who is commonly selling infected fish. read more

I have been going to Sensational Pets for years boarding my bearded dragons. Everyone is friendly and super helpful, caring and knowledgeable when it comes to the pets mostly reptiles. I wouldn't take my Beardie anywhere else. read more

Nice local pet shop! A bit dated but really good staff. All the animals looked really good and that is something you don't always see (specially at the big guys). Did not try the grooming service so can't comment on that but other than that this will be a shop I return to. read more