Pet Advantage is my "go to" for every question , issue, and problem l have with a pet. Having been a science teacher in Connecticut , l appreciate fellow animal enthusiasts who are quite knowledgeable about classroom pets. These people have an intrinsic love for all animals . I frequent this store many times and have never met an employee that didn't know a topic or wouldn't refer me to an employee more knowledgeable. Not only are the staff educated and friendly, but they are professional. Gabe, the owner, is extremely knowledgeable and professional. He speaks authoritatively on the diet and habits, habitats of any given animal . He handed out "print-outs" to us on Bearded Dragons when we asked diet questions. I was quite impressed with the devotion to quality care and handling of the pets "Pet Advantage" serves. This is truly a top-notch pet store in our community ! We are extremely fortunate to have Pet Advantage. The animals are healthy and vigorous, the employees and owner are wonderfully knowledgeable. We are both lucky and grateful to have Pet Advantage on Dorset Street, South Burlington area. Thank you for your devotion and professionalism. read more

Owner (manger) has anger issues. We paid for a guinea pig with the understanding we would pick it up later in the afternoon. We went back and were then told we had to buy pellets and hay or they wouldn't give us the pig. Obviously this made us unhappy and we were expressing that fact and suggesting that that should have been mentioned and it should be on the price listed for the pig when the owner told us that he didn't have to put up with this and that he wouldn't sell us the pig. Very unprofessional. read more

All in all, this place is great all around. I've owned various pets all my life and recently I've been getting into keeping fish. The knowledgeable and professional info that the staff and store owner provided to get me started with my fish tanks has been invaluable. Over the past year, I also had trouble with my dogs and didn't know who to ask for advice and guidance--the Pet Advantage staff came through for me and my family. Im assuming that the most recent poor reviews come from a place of misunderstanding and pettiness because I do not agree at all. I will say this--some businesses in VT are still short staffed, this store being no exception. When the store is crowded, expect to wait awhile. You will be rewarded with polite, well informed, and enthusiastic staff. My two dogs, two cats, and all vertebrate and invertebrate friends in my 8 fully stocked tanks agree. read more

Dr Acone and his team have always been so wonderful and attentive...I've had sensory and health issues and they are always very accommodating read more

Very poor conditions for certain animals in the enclosures. Otherwise, the store is fine for supplies, but the selection of pet feed brands is mediocre. read more

Horrible people with horrible customer service work here, I would never shop here again

My boyfriend and I love coming to this pet store! We go here to buy fish and the workers are all very knowledgeable and helpful every single time we've come in! We are people who love pets and take caring for them very seriously. It is so nice to be able to go into a store where we feel like the workers truly care for the animals/fish in their care. We drive an hour to get to this store from our home. We both highly recommend it to everyone who loves fish and is looking for something unique for their tanks. We have tried many different pet stores around but keep going back to this one because it's always a great experience. They have many species of fish that you cannot get at petco, petsmart, or most other fish stores. Thank you to all the kind employees who have helped us each time we've come in! They know their shit and won't just tell you what they think you want to hear when you ask for advice. We both greatly appreciate that! read more

I do a lot of business with the store and they are always very helpful and they are always super friendly I would recommend them for anyone who is looking for a pet or product they need they even clip my two parrots wings and they didn't sell them to me. Very nice and no complaints! read more

As a former employee, it's disheartening to see the place so filthy, especially the tanks and the bird cages. Both the fresh water and saltwater tanks are dreadful. So much algae and I'm not sure when the last time they changed their lighting but it clearly has been more than a year as all the tanks, even the saltwater ones, are dim and the water, cloudy. Driftwood does release tannins but after a few months, the tannins are leached out and stop browning the water, faster with fresh carbon. I honestly don't know if the owners request weekly water changes anymore, or change out the socks on a weekly basis. Onto the bird cages... I see they went back to wires in the bottom for the birds to step on and create bumble foot, much less having one more thing to clean. Speaking of cleaning, my god... there is bird poop on top of bird poop! Absolutely filthy, gross, disgusting cages! I used to clean the bird cages thoroughly once a week, including the wires, and they looked nothing like what I saw. Don't the current owners even care about the presentation of what they're keeping their animals in??? I hate to say it, but I would be very nervous to purchase anything from the Pet Advantage that is alive. The fact that their African Cichlid section just uses "Med. Assort. Cichlid, Lg. Assort. Cichlid, ect., instead of using their Latin names anymore (Yellow Libidichromis sp.) is a be factor that the owners and whoever is ordering fish now, are lazy. I doubt even the current staff knows which African lake each are from anymore, much less, how high the pH should be for Technician Cichlids to show off their true colors as adults. Just stay away. Only purchase supplies if you need them. read more

The Pet Advantage - Pictured is the reptile section on the far right, under the former general manager, Jason Boczar. - Pet Stores Near Me - South Burlington, Vermont

Owner sold me a snake with a contagious illness (scalerot) that takes 3-4 weeks to develop and had gone completely unnoticed. I got 2 snakes and the one who did not have it was infected and is still suffering even now because they didn't finish treatment. That illness spread to both my snakes I had gotten days apart. Made everything in their enclosures contaminated. I've heard other folks saying their bunnies died from mites that had come from this store. Still no refund for a 300-400$ infected snake purchase and I'm still dealing with it. When a refund was discussed he blew up at me yelling, making legal threats, wringing his hands and grinding his teeth at me. He did kicked me out of the store still making threats. Stating he would text me about giving me half a refund. He didn't have me sign the proper paperwork (which is a legal issue in itself). Also did not return my $30 animal carrier I brought them in. I had brought them back to receive care a couple days after I purchased them. They received care for almost 2 months and still were not completely better. During this unprofessional interaction the owner tried to say he didn't know if the illness came from them because "something had died in the terrarium". I had left a mouse in the terrarium for a day and the snake got a respiratory issue that was solved very quickly and was not the reason they both went in in the first place. Complete swindler trying to pass off responsibility for his neglect. The owner is out of the loop. The girl who had mainly taken care of them, said they were weren't getting better or worse. During this dispute when he kicked me out he said you can take the snake they're all set to go. Extremely unprofessional and rude. I've had multiple experiences with the owner and his wife, both unprofessional and rude. Has not contacted me regarding a refund or the carrier. When I got the sick snake, I had been informed they all hadn't been fed for 14 days. Snakes are supposed to be fed every 5-7 days. The worker then said they can go up to a year without eating. A human can go a week without water but should they?! Complete neglect of these poor animals. A wonderful woman named Skyler had mainly taken care of them to the best of her ability and even sacrificed time to come in when's she wasn't scheduled. Unfortunately I feel they probably didn't get the attention they needed even with that effort at the beginning. I brought the snake home that I wasn't getting a refund for that was still having issues because of the contamination from the other snake. I got rid of the rest of the problem in 2-3 days with what should have been the same products. All around so much neglect and disrespect. They have good options for products they carry which is great except now I will not want to support this local business. I will be letting others know about my experiences here so they may also decipher properly. This store is very short staffed, they do not take care of animals properly. read more

Wow they have every kind of snake and morph in such great shape I was shook! Also have bunnies, birds, koi fish, salt water fish, pet food it is just the best pet store I have been in for a long time read more

The Pet Advantage - Fresh water - Pet Stores Near Me - South Burlington, Vermont

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While caring for a client's pets, this was my go-to for vittles for their bearded dragon. The staff was exceptionally kind and professional. Fantastic place. read more

I love going to the Pet Advantage in South Burlington Vermont. They are super helpful, care about all of my pets and about me! I love Gabe and Erica, and the wonderful staff. We purchased 2 conors from them, and get the supplies for our bunny, lizard (think we got it from them too), and 4 cats. I love it because they are local, and not some chain! read more

The Pet Advantage - Pet Stores Near Me - South Burlington, Vermont

Update: OWNER RAISED HIS VOICE AT ME AND CALLED ME NUTS, when I asked for a refund. I got a tiny fish and double checked with an employee that the filter wouldn't kill him and she said it was fine. I just woke and my fish is dead from the filter. very disappointed and upset that fish is gone. read more

I could not be more disgusted by this business and the owner. Giving them a one star is giving them too much credit. I had never been in this store before. I see it on my way to work and was intrigued to stop in to see if they had anything for my dog that she would enjoy. I rather shop at a small business than at a chain company if I have the option. Upon arrival, the store looked chaotic and dirty. The aisles were tight and a mess, the animals seemed distressed in comparison to other pet stores that I have been in. It was very overstimulating to begin with when I continued to make my way around the store and heard, what appeared to be an employee...later found out it was the owner (Gabe)...screaming at a customer. The customer was remaining calm clearly explaining his concern about their experience in the store. From what I heard, it seemed like the customer had purchased a rabbit and a BOA CONSTIRCTOR got in the cage that they took home. The owner was belittling the mans concern and used harsh language like "Mother F***er" and "Get the f***k out of my store." I felt unsafe and immediately left. This should not be tolerated and after further review of their reviews...this is not an isolated event. You could tell the employees were unphased by his behavior, which is alarming. As for the poor man who got screamed at, who I'd like to point out calmly walked out to his car as the owner chased him out basically shoving him and remained in his face, should NOT feel crazy about being alarmed by a boa constrictor in their rabbits cage. If you don't like snakes that would have been a very traumatic experience and the way the owner "handled" it was DISGUSTING. DO NOT GO HERE OR SUPPORT THIS "SMALL BUSINESS" read more

I was a customer in the store last night trying to purchase dog toys, when another customer came in with a problem. The customer patiently waited in line while another customer was complaining about their pet. When it was his turn he was reporting having gotten home to find a snake in the bunny cage that was put together at the store the evening before when him and his girlfriend went to get their bunny. The customer was extremely calm and reasonable speaking with the owner, Gabe, and even kept the snake alive and returned it despite being afraid of snakes, which he noted to the owner. The owner would not acknowledge that this was an actual problem, receiving a SNAKE in their bunny cage. The owner was yelling at the customer, stating how this was about store margins not the actual problem at hand. I overheard the owner offer a credit if they bought anything further at the store - but I don't think that was the real issue at hand! It was the lack of acknowledgement. The customer never once raised his voice and was attempting to make a point about the seemingly terrifying experience he had. The owner ultimately ended up screaming at him, calling him a "mother fucker" and to "never fucking come in his store again" and go ahead and blast him on social media. I sure hope the customer does, but if he doesn't I sure will! This was awful and I will never shop at a store that treats their customers like that. My family has shopped here for a long time but not anymore! So sad! read more

People need to stop supporting this place. Animal neglect seen everywhere throughout this place. When confronting the owners they proceeded to say "if you don't like it then get out". Many many experiences and it's just so sad to see them still running. Selling animals with defects just to make money. Stop supporting this! They do not care about the animals at all. If they did they would have their own vet to be able to tell them what they're doing wrong. Ps-stop boarding your animals here! They almost killed ours in just the weekend we left them. They hide way too many animals in the back and could never get around to caring for them all. read more

My middle child turns 10 tomorrow and he wanted a lizard for his birthday. He's been asking for a few years and we all decided it was time! Not wanting to shop at Petco or something similar, we headed to The Pet Advantage. He ultimately decided on a young bearded dragon Which set us back $150.00. Is that the going rate? Whew! We also bought a 20gallon aquarium kit. The "kit" was missing a few necessary items that we had to have making our already gigantic price even larger. That was kind of a bummer. Mostly though, the staff was super friendly, knowledgeable, and patient. The store was the cleanest pet store I've ever seen. I didn't see one dead fish in any of the aquariums and all the animals/reptiles etc. looked healthy and content. And it smelled nice. I've been to pet stores that just stink, so this was a nice change. They did however try to sway you into staying longer to play and snuggle with the most adorable 10 week old puppies. How rude. ;) I kind of can't wait to go buy crickets to get my puppy fix. Puppy breath. OMG. read more

The Pet Advantage - Our new family member, Toothless. - Pet Stores Near Me - South Burlington, Vermont

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HORRIBLE, horrible, customer service. I bought 3 fish here and within 5 days 2 were dead and the established fish in my tank all came down with Ich. I brought the fish in for a refund with a water sample, my receipt and they refused to give me my money back. My water sample was perfect and they said they would give me a store credit to buy more fish and I said I don't want to buy fish from them again due to my healthy tank becoming contaminated from their fish. This is why small local businesses go out of business. I will not be shopping here again. Shame on the owner who wouldn't help me and refused to give me my money back. read more

The care, compassion and knowledge these folks have for the animals is beyond any "Pet Store" standard. In regards to the review stating Ferrets and Chinchillas are kept in fish tanks is false. These animals are kept in 2-Story enclosures per their need for multi-level spaces. In regards to Hedgehogs being kept in "fish tanks" these climate-sensitive guys are kept in open glass tanks (40 gallon breeders!), under heating elements to ensure the A/C that keeps the animals such as, Bunnies, Guinea Pigs, the large assortment of Salt Water and Reef life and patrons/visitors comfortable does not cause them to go dormant, contract a variety of respiratory diseases or even death! An open glass tank also protects them from the chance of being hurt by bars, as these are "rooting" animals and will push their narrow faces through anything it will fit through. The glass also protects these sensitive guys from the many germs the visiting public, or typical household's exposes them to. Hedgehogs are most certainly safest in glass enclosures for a variety of reasons, all stated above. read more

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Hi there, I wanted to put out a review of this pet store to save serious pet buyers a trip to this facility, I was on my way to this pet store to buy a Guinea pig for my girlfriend and I was willing to give this pet shop a try even though they charge at least a third more on all there pets then petco or pet smart, I was greeted by a girl that didn't know much about the age of the care of the Guinea pigs but she helped us pick one out they had a lot to choose from but I'm sure that is because no one wants to buy them from this facility , I then asked the owner for the age of the pet I had choose and he said she was 11 months old but then proceeded to asked me if I had hay and food and I told him that I had bought Timothy hay and food plus supplies for her before the pickup and he then told me the food that I bought was probably junk without asking what brand it was or anything of the sort then got an angry tone and wouldn't let me leave the store with the pet I had chosen without buying food and hay at his shop, (keep in mind for an outrageous price that is way above market value) considering I was already going to pay and extra $10 for the guniea pig then petsmart or petco and had supplies I took my business elsewhere to petsmart and ended up finding a perfect Guinea pig that was only 3 months old and only $50 instead of $60 and 11 months so I then took her home where she is living very happily being spoiled with hay, food, and an array of vegtables, so please do not waste your time buying a pet at this place they only want to sell it to get more money on there products, Thank you read more

The staff at The Pet Advantage have been nothing but helpful and friendly. I am new to owning fish and maintaining a tank so I always call or go in with a ton of questions and the staff have been extremely patient. I recommend The Pet Advantage to anyone looking to get a pet they offer. It is important and nice to support an independently owned business, especially in these times. :) read more

This is my first stop for pet items! They are not a chain store, so their prices tend to be a bit higher, but they are so nice. We have gotten guinea pigs and hamsters there and they are so well-bred and socialized. They have small animals and their staff is actually knowledgeable on feed, care, grooming, etc. I love to shop here first instead of the big box stores. read more

AWESOME PET STORE!!! It's fun to browse and look at all their animals and fish. They have lots of varieties from snakes to hedgehogs. It's pretty expensive when it comes to pet food, but the pet food is higher quality than the cheaper brands. They have a lot of different fun pet toys and pet things. They have a koi pond at the back with turtles in, which is personally my favourite part of the store. One time they also had a nice cat sleeping in the store which was fun!The cat was very friendly and welcomed petting. The staff are friendly and seem to love working there. Would recommend, even if you're not looking to buy anything! read more

I can only speak for the rabbits sold here, but definitely beware. I purchased a Lionhead rabbit a couple years back and soon after bringing her home, she was sneezing and had white discharge coming from her nose. Many costly vet bills to get antibiotics, pain medicine, and nebulizer treatments over the years. When I called the shop to notify them and inquire about the other rabbits in the litter, the employee was extremely rude and denied it came from their store. If your looking for a rabbit try the Humane society or a local breeder! read more

This shop looks so nice, clean and humane, but... Pet Advantage is the local independent pet store in the Burlington area. Pets get to run around free, kittens anyways. To make a long story short, went there with an incredibly tame cockatiel to have his wings clipped, the young manager (?) was about to wander off with him, I dashed behind her grasping my extremely scared looking bird's helpless eyes. She asked "Oh, you are coming along?" I stated, yes, I would. She held him wrong, pressed him down between her knees. My bird almost passed out and back home feel into a shock shaking with brief interruptions for over a week. We brought him to a vet who told us the bird could have suffocated or died from shock. We called in and complained, the owner did not want anything to do with our our complain, did not apologize or compensate vet bill. NEVER AGAIN here. read more

NEVER GO HERE! I like to support local businesses and have always come here but until I had a problem I didn't know how bad they are. The customer service is horrible and not consistent and they don't honor their word. I bought a filter and brought it home to plug it in and even before putting it in the tank it was super loud. I called the store and the girl told me to put it in the tank get water in it and if it was still loud to bring it right in for a refund or exchange for another one since it was defective and the reason I bought it because the one I had was old and loud, but this one was even louder. I brought it back within an hour of buying it like the girl I talked to on the phone told me and the owner was there and refused a refund or even store credit. He was very mean and just said I put it in the tank so he couldn't take it back because he couldn't get his money back on it, even though that's what his employee told me to do! I had just bought it an hour before. Finally he told me he could give me half off and he would resell it (probably for full price) losing the money I bought on it. They are crocks and not helpful and will never go here again. read more

I would like to start by saying that I never take the time to review any establishment, but I made an exception for this particular place. My daughter and I went to The Pet Advantage for a hissing cockroach. When we arrived the store was jammed with just about everything. I first noticed the giant snakes jammed into tanks that were clearly too small. We eventually found the aquarium with the hissing cockroaches. My daughter noticed a gecko tank beside the cockroaches and began looking at them. She got very upset and began to talk about them to me. My daughter has had her leopard gecko for 4 years and is vigilant, meticulous and simply superb regarding the care of her gecko. She does research, belongs to forums and reads constantly in order to provide proper care. The geckos at this store were CLEARLY not cared for properly. From the size and lighting of the tank, the lack of hides to the choice of substrate it was all wrong. The most critical observation was the size of the geckos' tails. They were horribly thin. This has only ONE explanation and that is LACK of care. Whoever is caring for these geckos is not dusting the geckos food with multi-vitamin supplements or calcium. A healthy gecko has a strong build with their belly off the ground and a nice plump tail around the same size as their neck (or larger). My daughter was extremely upset and so we decided to speak to a gentleman whom I can only guess is the manager or owner. My daughter tried to speak with him and I also tried, but after his lack of knowledge and concern I simply said to my daughter that he didn't want to understand and we should leave. As I said this, he looked at me and told me and my other 12 year daughter to leave. I could NOT believe his clear unprofessional behavior and lack of responsibility. My daughter left sobbing and worried about the reptiles overall. I promised her that I would try to do something, so I am writing this review and contacting whomever I feel will look into this establishment. read more

Stay Away! Rude, unprofessional owner. Terrible customer service. My daughter bought two baby mice and discovered that one of them was pregnant within five days of taking them home. Unequipped to care for a litter of mice, we took the pregnant mouse back to the store. The owner refused to refund my child or allow her to exchange the mouse for a different one. He claimed that "nothing is medically wrong with the mouse" so he would not honor the store's return/refund policy. Unbelievable! Run to PetSmart or Petco...anywhere but this store!!! read more

I bought a Sailfin Molly tropical fish from this store, and I was told it would do well in my community aquarium. It did not. After two weeks, the fish became aggressive and agitated, had clenched fins, and began to shimmy. I did some research, and learned that Mollies prefer brackish water, with a small amount of salt. I mixed a container of water with the proper ratio of salt, and put my suffering Molly into it. She immediately responded, unclenched her fins, and no longer shimmied. The water pH matched my tank's. I decided to return the fish, but when I brought her back to the store, the person who was in charge told me he wouldn't refund my money. He reacted as if I was crazy when I explained what happened. He said he'd accept the fish as a donation, but wouldn't do anything else. I paid almost $10 for the Molly, and returned her in the same condition as when I had bought her. I wasn't even offered a store credit! This is entirely unacceptable. I will never shop at The Pet Advantage again, and I will never recommend this store to anyone. Buyer beware. read more

Giving this place a one only because I had to pick at least one star. I thought this place would be pricey but excellent due to it not being a big chain store. They are pricey as expected. They have a large assortment of animals that aren't easily found in our Area especially if you're not going through a breeder. However we recently went through a breeder and bought our first ever hedgehog. We went to this store seeing as they sell hedgehogs to see what they had for accessories. We asked if they had any advice about hedgehogs for us as we are new owners. The women gave us advice but everything we told her we were currently doing she looked at us like we were awful and should not be owners of this type of pet. However after talking with other owners and visiting several other pet stores we were informed that we were doing all the right things. In fact the things we were told at this store we were doing wrong others told us would make our pet sick if we did it the way this women was telling us to do. For instance one thing we were told is we needed a fish tank for our hedgehog or she would get to cold and die even though we told her we have a heat lamp with a thermometer and our apartment is always hot. We were informed by others that a fish tank would actually create alot of bacteria and make her very sick. There were several other instructions we were given by this lady that did not go with what everyone else has told us. Now I just feel bad for the pets they do have there who are kept in fish tanks.... Hedgehogs, ferrets, chinchillas.... And there well beings. It makes me so sad to think these animals may not be getting taken care of like there suppose to be. We have also been owners of a ferret before and never had him in a fish tank like they had there's. How are these animals able to get enough air so not happy with this place. read more

Hello, I had amazing experience three times. I went there once on my Birthday and I ended up holding a bird. Yesterday and today I purchased a rabbit, Gabe? Is very knowledgeable. He is even the breeder for the rabbits. I picked up the Rabbit. She is relaxing in her big cage. Can't wait to snuggle with her tomorrow! read more

It's a lengthy drive from my town, but the trek is worth it. This is one of the few non-chain stores around that has a decent selection covering all manner of beast, and at really good prices. The bonus for me is that they are one of the few places locally that sells live feeder rats and mice, and since my ball python won't eat the freeze-dried, dead rodents provided by Petco and the like, that makes Pet Advantage a godsend! read more

Not overly expensive. Great fish collection. We just grab some dog treats . I like it be after you spend so much you get a gift card back.

My niece bought several birds from this store. The staff knew nothing about the care of these birds - luckily my niece did. The staff tried to sell her inadequate, overly priced seed, when actually the birds required pellets. A vet examination revealed malnutrition among other things. It turns out the birds are from breeding mills. My niece wasn't able to save them from the life-threatening conditions they had acquired from being cruelly bred in a mill, and after spending hundreds on vet bills trying to save them, she couldn't get her money back because it was after the 30 day period. The owners, particularly the wife, were testy and unsympathetic. She clearly only cares about money and any niceness is a thin business facade ready to flip at a moment's notice. I witnessed an employee improperly feeding and then dropping a baby cockatiel. The store is now getting into the parrot trade (shudder). I also hear they're breeding puppies. The owners only care about money. Your dollar is better spent elsewhere. read more

I had a great experience here. I took my young parakeet in to have her wings clipped, and Gabe, the owner was wonderful and went above and beyond with helping me feel confident that my little Budgie would be ok. He did the clipping himself. He also gave me a nice box to put her in when doing a cage cleaning. I highly recommend Pet Advantage if you need your bird's wings clipped, and it's less than 1/10th the price the vet quoted me! That's right! read more

This is one of the better pet stores in the area; however, today we dealt with one of the rudest employees. This woman had a bad attitude the whole time, and basically acted like selling us a fish was physically hurting her. Not sure what her problem is, but it may keep me from coming back. read more

I buy my fish here because they are generally very healthy and they have a nice selection. Most of the staff are pleasant and helpful, but I can think of a couple exceptions. I believe the place is recently under new management so I guess we'll see if it gets any better or worse. This is the only place in the Burlington area where I would buy any live animals other than adoption. read more