I can see why some reviews may call this place a bit dingy, but it has a kind of authenticity from a family business and underneath the surface grime, there's truly so much this place has to offer. The main guy helping customers was very knowledgeable and answered my numerous questions about setting up an aquarium with plants, invertebrates, and fish. As this was my purpose of visiting, I can't comment on the other animals and supplies they have, but they have a huge variety of fish, the vast majority of which seem to be doing well. Although the prices of the fish and plants are a bit higher than corporate ones, the fish are supposedly from a better source and healthier, and it's a local business. I got lots of product recommendations that I'll be buying later. I'd definitely recommend checking this place out for any of your aquarist needs! read more

I purchased my betta here! I had tons of help from the person up front who answered all my questions about properly taking care of a betta. Thank you so much! The pet shop in general is super chill and authentic too, so I'm definitely getting my next fish here. read more

They show passion for their business, also very informative. Been in and out of this store for the past couple years, seems to be improving in condition, they really do care about the animals! Still wish they'd wash them like the dogs/cat you get to play with when you come in, while they're very sweet they can be a bit overbearing with the smell. Overall i think this place is worth it owner has a lot of heart, reviews don't do it justice it's definitely improved, and will come again! read more

This place gets a bad wrap on here because yuppies. I get it- it's a little messy. It is as Allston as it gets. Have you been in an animal collectors home before? This family LOVES animals and are a wealth of knowledge. It I run by a father and son. The dad is a sweet heart and knows so much. The son is a little steely but also very kind hearted once you get to know him. The father has something like 20 rescue birds that have no where else to go. That cockatiel in the front of the store would be dead anywhere else. He's a rescue and they put him up front so he can see all the action of tree store. It's what's best for the bird but it's not great for business. They've helped me a ton with question about my snake and birds. read more

The Cat gives me hives. Possibly from fleas on the cats fur, please wash your cat and pest control your store. read more

The Pet Shop - Pet Stores Near Me - Allston, Massachusetts

Store is a bit disorganized, but if you're familiar with small "exotic" pet stores, it's exactly what you'd expect. Owner is nice. Went there for live mealworms, got what I wanted. There are two large dogs and a cat that have roam of the place, but they're nice. Bottom line, if you need pet supplies, this is a good place to go. read more

I used to come here in 2013-2014 when I lived in the area, but judging from the other reviews it looks like this place hasn't improved. This place is really dirty and there's a smell. Back then, my love of animals and boredom as a young 20-something would bring me back here from time to time, but i would have to brace myself before walking in. I wouldn't purchase any pets or supplies here, just looking. read more

PLEASE REPORT THIS HORRIBLE PLACE TO 311. This was the most disturbing and disgusting place I have ever seen for animals. The rats and mice were disgustingly overcrowded, the reptile section smelled of urine (a very bad sign for reptiles), the two large birds were stress-picking our their feathers (one was even bleeding), the guinea pigs were sick with eye infections, I could go on. This place was so sketchy too because it was loaded with signs that said "no photography or you will be thrown out" which just tells me that they have something to hide. Nothing good from this place. read more

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The treatment of the animals here is disturbing, to the point that I contacted the City of Boston as well as the USDA about the conditions and felt horrible leaving any living thing there. There is no excuse for this place to treat animals this way. I'm not going to speculate about whether or not the owner cares because it does not matter. Almost every animal showed significant signs of poor health or had untreated injuries from fighting. That is not okay under any circumstances. I could go on and on about how bad it is, but this is not just your standard shitty pet store conditions. None of the animals are receiving the basic care they need to survive, and some are being kept there permanently for breeding (according to a sign that was up on the wall). These animals are being abused/neglected and it's wishful thinking to believe otherwise. There are signs everywhere saying that photography isn't allowed "for the safety of the animals". To me, it seems much more like that they're trying to discourage documentation of the conditions. Some of the recurring issues I saw across the board: * Extremely undersized enclosures: most small animals had only a few inches to move * Animals that need to be kept individually being housed together (ex: leopard geckos, hedgehogs) * On reptiles: dehydration either due to low humidity or poor water access. Skin sheds were stuck on multiple lizards. * On small animals: untreated/open scratch and bite marks, not separating animals that had clearly fought * Dangerous items: substrate used with animals that will ingest it, pine hides used with animals that get respiratory issues from pine, under tank heating mats used without enough space to avoid hot areas so the animals are essentially going to be trapped on a burning surface when they're overheating, etc. There isn't much else to say. A pet store has never bothered me on this level before, and whoever is responsible should be unable to sell animals. read more

Sold me one little rat that was infected with a respiratory disease--I could hear her wheezing shortly after getting her home. I bought an antibiotic over the Internet shortly thereafter--I didn't have the money to take her to a vet--but despite that, she died--a horrible death, with much lurching to and fro, and shivering, and cuddling up to me, apparently for comfort. So I cried a lot. I went back, and the owner was nice enough (I thought) to give me a replacement rat, another girl. Well. She was poorly socialized, and almost bit. I got rid of her yesterday. Today, a day later, I came home to find--to my HORROR--the cage full of blind little rat babies. The owner had given me a *pregnant* rat. I called him & said, "Well, thanks for making me have to engage in all that murder." He said, "I don't see why you had to murder them. You could have brought them in." I suppose he was right, but I've never dealt with those little things before. I was totally surprised and traumatized. Never again with me and The Pet Shop. read more

This was my "go-to" pet shop for about 7 years. I've noticed that the quality has steadily declined over time. Particularly the general cleanliness and the prevalence of expired pet food products. The last time I went, there was no one in the front. The shop cat was laying right in front of the door. Unsupervised. When we entered, the cat then walked over to an (open) aquarium and drank from its filthy water. I feel as though this is problematic, as it shows that the aquarium hadn't been cleaned in a while, as well as leaving all of these animals unsupervised. However, I'd be willing to give this place another chance, as I know that every business goes through their highs and lows. I really look forward to the day where I can patronage this place again with confidence. read more

Is it possible to give this a zero star review? My heart breaks every time I see the animals and how horribly they're treated in there. I got a hedgehog from here about four years ago. I named her Bella and she was PREGNANT!!! She had a giant scab on her nose and bite marks on her ears. This is because she was in a fight because she was, unbeknownst to the breeder, pregnant. She was 13 weeks old which is basically the equivalent of 11-year-old having a baby. Neither of her babies survived for even 24 hours because hedgehogs neglect their babies when they are born into unsafe situations. This place had all of their female hedgehogs in one cage and all of their male hedgehogs in another one. The breeder had made a mistake and had apparently put a male hedgehog in the female enclosure. After learning more about how to adequately take care of a hedgehog, I learned more about what hedgehogs need in order to be happy and healthy and I was honestly shocked by the dichotomy in how they treated her and how I treated her. They had them in 1x1x3 foot fishtanks which is not nearly enough space for one hedgehog let alone seven. They had no hidey holes. Having a safe place to burrow is crucial to hedgehogs mental health and feelings of safety and they were literally trying to bury themselves under eachother. I don't recall them even having a water bottle in their cage which was mind-boggling to me because if you don't know that an animal needs water you absolutely have no place selling them. I will go there today and if they have the animals in the same conditions I will for sure be reporting them to the MSPCA. read more

The pets look happy, prices reasonable, standard, guinea pigs were on sale, hope they find nice homes, and all the pets I said hello to were friendly. A hedgehog was there, too and degus, very curious and friendly! The owner is great, let me charge my phone and pet his Newfoundland dogs, bulldog in the back, and feed the blue parrot peanuts. I was last there a decade ago, and think the parrot was, as wellThe owner said 28 years, I think great shop, visit! P.s. to the owner, I think I forgot my thermos if you can hold onto, I will come back for tomorrow or the next day! read more

This place is so dirty and disgusting. The cat that roams the store habits food on a shelf in the back in a cramped dark spot. I couldn't see half the fish in the tanks because they were so dirty and algae filled. There was a dog in the back animal room trying to get out but the area was closed for us to get it. And I'm pretty sure the bird they have back there is illegal. It's too exotic and in poor gross conditions. This bird was massive. The room it's stuffed in with all the cages in the back is disgusting. You can see the glass is dirty. No fresh air. Sad. read more

The Pet Shop - This bird was massive. The room it's stuffed in with all the cages in the back is gross. You can see the glass is dirty. No fresh air. - Pet Stores Near Me - Allston, Massachusetts

I happened upon this little pet paradise while waiting around for a comedy show across the street. They have a nice selection of everyday pet needs and also some pets. I saw a limited selection of fish, some birds and in the rear of the store there were doors stating live pet area. Unfortunately my friends arrived and I left prior to going into the live pet area. After the show and dinner while heading back to my car I noticed a newfoundland puppy sitting inside the front door, unfortunately the store was closed. But any store that has a Newfoundland puppy in it, whether for sale or as a pet is tops in my book!!! read more

The Pet Shop - Cute Newfoundland puppy inside the store not sure if he's for sale or belongs to the owners either way he's cute and he's going to be huge - Pet Stores Near Me - Allston, Massachusetts

Owner is a great person I go here all the time for Accessories I always sit there and talk because he's very friendly and cares about his customers and he also has great dogs in the store that I get to play with read more

The Pet Shop - His other dog just as huge and just as friendly love them - Pet Stores Near Me - Allston, Massachusetts

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I got my two rats from here, at different times. I came back because my Dumbo Rat ($15.99) was fine, so I got a standard white rat ($5). I would not buy any other animal from this place, except maybe a fish. There was a cute kitty that roamed about and was friendly, but the second time I was there I saw three dogs laying on the ground. They looked sick, depressed, and overall not healthy at all. The store has a decent selection of pet supplies for all types, so it definitely is better as a place to get food/supplies. When I got home, I noticed that my Dumbo Rat had a slightly blue left eye. This is likely from poor living conditions/treatment in the store. I do not believe he can see out of that eye. He was only 6 weeks when I got him. He is otherwise healthy and happy now. I was pleased that the store had conditioned the rats so that they did not bite by the time they were put up for sale. My white rat seemed fine, but he had an awful smell that I couldn't seem to get away even with a bath. I got him at 4 weeks old but a week after I got him he developed a tumor on his neck. He is ok now and it is gone, but I thought that I was going to lose my baby after only a month of having him. read more

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The owner of this store and his employees are not to be trusted. Used to come to this shop every day to visit their resident hyacinth macaw, Harley... he's an absolute gem who is caged all day and not given the opportunity to fly. It's entirely abusive and they should be jailed for the way they treat these animals. But onto the fact that the owner and his son are thieves. One afternoon I went to the shop and placed my wallet on the top of Harley's birdcage. I left the store without realizing that my wallet was still on the top of the cage, and texted one of the associates to let her know what had happened. She confirmed that my wallet was there and that they moved to a safe secure place until I could pick it up. The next day I went back to get my wallet... the owner half-heartedly "searched" the private back room said that it was gone, and he didn't know where it could be. Then their story changed -- they "never saw it", even though their own employee confirmed that they did. Maybe the $400 in cash that the wallet contained was more valuable to them than the trust of a customer who had been coming to their shop daily for a year, but it was especially painful because the wallet was a gift from my deceased mother. In short, don't trust these people. Their abusive and neglectful animal care practices aside, they do not care one bit about their customers and will happily take advantage of you if given the opportunity. read more

While it might look gross as soon as you enter those grease covered doors... its much worse after you go in the back. The place is cockroach infested, the rats have lice (I know this since I bought 2 rats and brought them to the vet), the macaws are the owners pets (or so they say) and the evil birds run free in the back as well. None of the animals have any toys, clean litter or big enough cages. I never looked at the fish that well but the tanks looked nasty. The biggest thing I am pissed about is that in the year that I have had my rats that I got from this store I have had to bring them to the vet 5 times. Once for the lice, then for their cysts which the vet says they have bad genetic from being inbred. then from their dry skin. Then for more cysts. Stay away from this store at all costs. read more

I wanted to step on here and then talk about my experience at the Pet Shop. Many of these reviews were written over a year ago, and I can't speak to the Pet Shop's practices that long ago. I can however talk to my experience with the pet shop over the past month, which has been wonderful. Honestly, when I walked in a few weeks ago, the shop and as no more cluttered, smelly, or dirty than any other pet shop, and I've been in quite a few. In fact, by Pet Store standards, it was high on the list. The shelves were clean, organized, the fish tanks were all cleaned, living and healthy fish in them, the cats and dogs in the shop were healthy looking, groomed, and very affectionate, and the other animals didn't not seem over-crowded in their cages, their cages were clean, and they did not have bald patches, scratches, or bite marks. I did a thorough look through of all the animals prior to making my purchase and made sure they were healthy before inquiring about my pet of interest. I went in to get a Ball Python, because it was one of the few places in the city that sold them, especially captive bred, and I lived nearby. I have been around snakes my entire life and I knew quite a bit about the animal, but I did ask questions about each snakes individual feeding habits, shedding habits, handling experience, and about the logistics of the cage and husbandry. The owner answered every single question knowledgeably and was honest and sincere with me. The snakes themselves were beautiful; no dry skin patches, scratches, no eye issues, and no signs of underfeeding or dehydration. He then took his time to help me pick the right snake, the right materials for the cage, and even offered advice on getting my little guy all acquainted to his new home, including feeding and handling, and when I can expect him to shed again. I took my little guy home and it was a perfect match. My snake is still very healthy, fed right away, was comfortable within days, is clearly used to being handled, and is getting ready to shed, right when the owner said that he would be. He was clearly well tuned to this animals needs and schedule, which was so helpful in the transition process. I go there for all my snake needs and everytime they answer my follow up questions with patience and knowledge. They have even offered to take a look at her if I get concerned about something, even all this time later, and that I can bring him anytime to get looked at. I have been so impressed with their service and care. And the last the thing, because I know people are really hung up on pet shops looking like a PetCo, every time I go into that store, it really does get cleaner and cleaner! This evening I walked in and the floor was completely cleared of any materials or stock, the floor was mopped and sparkling clean, all the animals cages and fish tanks were dazzling, and it hardly smelled like a pet shop at all, which is incredible as Pet Shops do tend to have a smell no matter how much you clean. I can tell the company is making great strides to be even better and I would encourage anyone to see them for their pet needs and purchases. read more

The Pet Shop - Sahalie just a few days after being brought home! - Pet Stores Near Me - Allston, Massachusetts

This place made me sick to my stomach. I'm not going to make too harsh of judgements about the person up front because it's possible he could have some invisible disability such as autism but from my perspective he seemed very unfriendly. For ex, when I asked in a very nice tone (even though I was disturbed) "Is there a reason the animal room in the back is closed?" he said "uh COVID?" with attitude as if that was the stupidest question he'd ever heard. There was no mention of covid on the closed sign taped to the door. From peeking into the room, I suspected it was because all the animals were on the verge of death from maltreatment. Walking through the shop also makes me feel like I'm going to catch an illness from the poor abused animals and dirty conditions. I have no idea how a shop like this is still standing. My hope is that people stop patronizing this place so they are forced to shut down for animal welfare. read more

DO NOT GO TO THIS STORE WITHOUT READING THIS REVIEW!!!!!!!!! On this store's website, the opening hours are listed as 1pm. I arrived at 1:20 and the store was still locked up. Confused, I went next to to a convenience store to see what the story was and the cashier had told me the owners are so unreliable they've been known to come and open the store hours late. I decided to wait at the Subway across the street (there were others too who had already been waiting there) and finally the owner had came at 1:50. I went into the store and immediately was shocked at how filthy everything was, and saw that the back door to their "animal room" was locked with a sign "closed" on it. I asked the owner when they would open it and he said "5 pm." NOWHERE on the site did they explain that the room that contained all of their animals like chinchillas, guinea pigs and birds would be closed until 5. My roundtrip uber fee was $18. I could not be more upset and I IMPLORE you to never give this place your business. I sincerely hope that they go bankrupt. read more

I was walking my dog and came across this PET store and wanted to go in with my dog and buy something but the employee said my dog wasn't allowed. My dog is not allowed in the PET store? I was confused. I didn't even bother to ask anymore questions and glad I didn't fully step inside bc that place look so gross inside. read more

Place is disgusting. The macaws in the back and the reptiles should not be in cages and tanks that small. The smell is horrible and its very dirty. I bumped into a towel and cockroaches fell out of it. This place should be shut down. The conditions are straight up horrific read more

Unlike previous reviewers, I was not overwhelmed by the smell in here. It just smelled like a pet store to me, which meant it smelled like animals. Perhaps I'm impervious to such scents because I'm from Ohio and therefore used to smelling farms? Who knows. Anyway, I couldn't pay much attention to the smell when there were adorable animals right by the entrance. A male Newfoundland (small for its breed, the owner told me he only weighs about 110 lbs.--a runt!), a black and white cat, and a female Bulldog can usually be found lounging right in front of the door. As they're extremely friendly (and lazy), I highly suggest giving up a few minutes to pet and coddle them. On to the store! I found the layout cluttered, yes, but in a charming way. This is a store that wants you to take your time wandering around exploring--it's not an "in and out" kind of place. I was fascinated by the degus and the pygmy hedgehogs (omg I want one!), and as far as I could see the cages were really clean with fresh bedding and everything. And there were only maybe 3 animals to a cage. Now maybe I came in right after clean up time, but for all future visitors who may encounter dirty cages: small animals poop A LOT and it's entirely impossible (and impractical) to change the bedding more than once every couple days. So if you go in there and see "dirty" cages and think "Ew, gross! How inhumane!" you should probably walk away from the small pets because you're clearly not ready to have one. I came in here to get a betta fish, and he's doing quite well in his new home. There's a good supply of fish things, although clearly it's not as extensive as what you'd find at, say, Petco or Petsmart. But I was more than satisfied and had a lovely chat with the owner who told me how he came to own all three of the dogs that wander the store. He was extremely knowledgeable and I could have listened to him talk about animals for hours, but I had to get my fish home! For most of the people who've reviewed this place negatively, I have a question: do you have any idea what goes on behind the polished doors at places like Petco and Petsmart? If you did you would understand why I much prefer this place with all its smells and poopy cages to the clean and shiny set up of a commercial pet store chain. I've seen *plenty* of foul looking cages in those kinds of places, so I don't know what you're complaining about. Also, animals like dogs and cats are social animals and most often prefer to be housed together. So while some of their accommodations in this may seem cramped to you, the puppies and kitties are much happier cramped than lonely. And the biggest reason to shop at The Pet Shop as opposed to a big chain? PUPPY MILLS. As has been previously stated, all the dogs and cats for sale here are rescued animals or have been turned over because their owners cannot care for them any longer. The ones that look sick? They probably are sick and *were sick* when the owner received them: it takes time to nurse animals back to health! You don't see sick animals at chains because they don't put them out front for you to see! Those adorable puppies you see at Petco and Petsmart? Yeah, chances are they came from a puppy mill in Pennsylvania where their mother has never set found on solid ground. Whereas the teenagers working at chain stores can't usually tell you *anything* about the specific animals they're selling, The Pet Shop owner can tell you where all his animals come from, the history of the breed, what they eat, their common behaviors, EVERYTHING. Be a responsible pet owner and do your research before you criticize. Store appearance means diddly shit when it comes to the quality of a pet store. read more

For the record: I have 5 tanks set up, every testing kit imaginable, work with someone who sets up aquariums professionally. I know my shit. Also, let me just get this out there, the owner of this cesspool called me a cunt. I'll get back to that later. I came in here a few weeks ago and purchased a Corydora fish; a hearty bottom feeder. The young man who was working there (I'm assuming he is the owner's son) made sure to pick out a really healthy one. That, and the fact that the Betta Fish could not be seen through their containers because they were so filthy, should have made me think twice. I had brought this up to the owner in the past, and he joked about the water being "well seasoned". I did all the proper steps to introduce this fish. It died within 20 minutes. I went in a week or so later, and the young man that sold me the fish was there, and I mentioned what happened. He was very pleasant to talk to, and brought it up to the owner. I explained the story to the owner. The I have multiple testing kits/heater/filter/ and slowly introduced him to the temperature, etc. "Well, MY fish are fine in their tanks. They don't die here in my tanks." His tone got exceedingly more pissed off, and I said "I don't mean to sound unreasonable or cunty" He replied, "Well you're doing a great job of sounding like a cunt." The younger man that worked there looked horrified, and blurted out, "UH he's just joking", and eventually the owner said "That's just my sense of humor" So, yeah, never again. Also, not cool to brag that your seven-year-old shop dog (a Newfoundland), hasn't ever been groomed. Disgusting, and terrible for the dog. I also wish I had taken pictures of the sick parrot I saw lying in the corner of their disgusting bird room. read more

I would give this place zero stars if I could. Tldr: this place is too small for the variety and number of pets they sell, don't support the abuse of defenseless animals and take your business elsewhere Animals: The animals in this shop are broken from severe mistreatment. I understand the shop is small, but you cannot put 5 bunnies and no toys in a 20 liter tank and call it humane. The cats appeared to have joint problems in their hind legs and there were dead fish floating among the live ones in dirty tanks. The degus were being fed what looked like dinner table scraps. Store rules: There's a reason this place has a strict no photography policy, they know what they're doing is unacceptable. I hope this place gets shut down. I would only buy an animal here to rescue it from the conditions in the store, but I couldn't bear to contribute to supporting this place. Staff: The employee was rude and unhelpful. Half and hour as the only couple in the store and he puttered behind the counter and never even tried to help us. When we asked about a hamster he refused to show us the small rodents and reptile area on the grounds that we couldn't be trusted alone with their cages. After 20 minutes he sighed and annoyedly asked if we were going to buy anything and kicked us out of the store. I'll never go back again, except for maybe to protest. read more

I bought my beloved rabbit from this place. I didn't know at the time, but she was living in awful conditions. Her feet were stained with urine, and her diet was incomplete. She was placed it the same cage as an adult rabbit that was dominating and probably abusive to the baby bunnies there. I used to go into this place every few months because I liked to see the rabbits. I was shocked as the same animals stayed there, looking sicker and sicker. My significant other and I contemplated buying a rabbit that had been there for seven months -- and then giving him to a shelter that would take care of him. The last straw was when I went to visit the rabbits. I picked up a cute little baby doe that looked like my own rabbit. (In retrospect, she probably was related -- where do they get their animals?) She was too thin, her feet were stained with urine, and worst of all, she had sores on her skin. This innocent little doe was having medical issues that needed to be addressed immediately; she should not have been around the other animals or in public. I told the owner, and he claimed he would check it out. I don't believe him. I don't know what to do with this place. I hope it goes out of business for the sake of the animals. They deserve better. By the way, it is very shady that they prohibit videotaping. I reckon they are trying to keep the local news from doing an expose. But newsprint requires no photos.... read more

I walked into this store wanting to look at their fish, as I am an aquarist. I was appalled at the condition of the tanks. At least two of every five had a fish dead in it, and there was so much algae you could barely make out what some of the fish in the tanks were. The only reason I would have bought anything from this store would have been to save it from the poor conditions. As I am also wanting to open my own small pet store in the near future, I continued to look around. I went to the back room where they had all of the birds, rodents, and reptiles. The animals were so tightly packed it is a wonder they were all alive, and they were blasting screaming music that would have blown out my eardrums if I listened to it too long, let alone the animals there. They had a scarlet macaw and a hyacinth macaw, along with an eclectus, some senegals, quakers, and parrotlets, and all were in conditions that had me walking out in complete disgust. Aside from the conditions of the animals being absolutely horrible, nothing was organized, the floor was almost completely covered with product, I was stepping around, and over everything, and it was just so dirty. When we spoke to the staff, although nice, they were not very knowledgable on certain things. When you can't tell me the origins of a goldfish, and you're running a pet store, you should probably attempt to learn a little more about the animals you are selling. China, by the way, they come from China originally. For those that said this store was a good store and gave it five stars, I can only imagine what it would take for them to give a place a 1 star. I walked out with the biggest knot in my gut after being here. I am editing to add that this is the first store I have every been so grossed out by that I felt the need to leave a yelp review. read more

Please DO NOT support this shop with your business - go somewhere else that actually cares for the animals they sell. Honestly, I have no idea how this place is still open. It is DISGUSTING. 1. The fish are kept in filthy water and the majority of the tanks had dead fish floating around. 2. The shop itself is extremely dirty and disorganized. 3. I walked in and there were about 6 or 7 dogs laying around. The dogs were all very friendly but in various stages of neglect. One poodle was a complete ball of mats, one of the bulldogs had already lost an eye and the remaining one was very goopy, the large Newfoundland was filthy and also had very matted fur. I feel so horribly for the animals sold and kept in this shop. Please don't waste your money when the supplies you buy can be bought somewhere else. If you want to buy an animal here it would probably die in a matter of days after bringing it home. Just don't do it. read more

The small animals in the back room section are kept in disgusting, over-crowded, and in general horrible housing. They had absolutely no toys or hideouts, let alone space to move around. They were housed incorrectly in too small of a space, there were just sad bodies stacked in piles. It also seemed as though they were housing males and females together, which means more babies that can't possibly fit in the already over-crowded area. I don't know much about birds but their cages looked barren and boring. Even the animals in the front window didn't have enough space to live comfortably. Five bunnies to a small cage?? Please do NOT give this store your business, and file complaints and report their animal abuse. read more

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I stopped in this store tonight. It smelled bad, the animals were sick, it was total mess, and it was unwelcoming. Flag anyone giving this place more than 1 star and especially who anyone who mentions the word "clean" as a liar. read more

After meeting a very sweet hedgehog at a science convention, I fell in love and decided my world would be incomplete without one. I did the reading, got a cage, and got ready to welcome a prickly ball of love into my classroom. When I went into the Pet Shop, the owner and I discussed hedgehogs for a while and he made many vaild points and convinced me this was not my pet. Instead, he took the time to introduce me to degus, cute little guys (and girls) from South America. I adopted two degus, and they have been amazing pets for the past two years. Every other pet shop I have been do has not carried the food, and if they do they say, "yeah, I've seen pictures of those things..." Bottom line, the people who work here know what they're talking about and have great animals and the things they need. The owner saved me about $250.00 and I couldn't be happier with my pets. read more

UGH. The smell of ammonia is so strong in here. It's so disgusting I wasn't able to stay inside for more than a couple of minutes, as my lungs and stomach were getting ready to revolt. There are fish in tanks far too small for them. There are animals in cages that are filthy. There are products that are old, expired, wrong for the creatures they're used with... This is a disgusting pet store. There are dogs lying around with leashes and collars on, just lounging on the floor in filth. I've reported this place to the city. Hopefully this business will be closed soon. read more

One afternoon, tragedy struck and my boyfriend's poor fish Kingsley was no longer with us. Saddened, we did what any normal American couple would do: we sought to procure a replacement after we promptly gave Kingsley a proper burial at sea. Or out to sea, as it were. Having some things to care of over in Allston, we stopped here to check out the fishies. Their bowls and tanks seemed relatively clean and there was quite a selection. After some debate, we settled on a very colorful fish with big spikey fins. We even got him a hermit crab statue to keep him company. He is one happy little fish. Aside from the fact of how cute our new friend is, I'd have to agree with most of the claims below that the store is somewhat desheveled, there is hardly anyone to help and the disorganized shelves are coated with dust. The smell, however, is nothing more than the smell of a standard pet store and the animals (hampsters, gerbals, birds, chinchillas, ferrets and fish) seemed to be well attended to in clean cages and clean water. For fish rescure missions and new swimming friends, The Pet Shop came through. I just think the store itself could be better kept! read more

I came in here one afternoon hoping to be like that lil kid at the pet shop ooooo-ing and ahhhhhing at the animals in here, but that was not the case. Instead, I walked in here and was disgusted. Yes, pet shops generally smell bad because well yeh, there are animals. That I am not denying. However, this place was disgusting. The store was such a clusterfuck in every way possible. The layout of the store was disorganized. And if you walk towards the back where most of the animals are kept, you will find that the ratio of animals to cage is absurd. There was one cage that I was looking at, where there were probably 20 mice or rats, I'm not sure, packed into a cage. You can literally see them stacked on top of each other, where they can't even move. Most of the animals were sickly looking. Why would anyone want to purchase a pet that is not only sick, but could possibly die within weeks of taking it home? Can you imagine having a kid and giving them a pet to only die a few weeks later? That would break my heart! Not only because of the child, but also because of the pet. What this store needs to do is shut down for several weeks and clean up their act. Forget about trying to make money and bring these animals back to life. Clean up the store. All the cages were filled with feces at the bottom of their cages and it didn't even appear to be fresh feces, but rather been sitting there for awhile. Can you imagine you were locked up in a room by yourself with nothing else but your own urine and feces? Wouldn't that depress the CRAP outta you? For those of you "defending" the owner of this shop - shame on you. Put things in perspective and imagine what it is like for those animals. Talk about animal cruelty. P.S. As much as I like dogs, not everyone is a fan of dogs. Having that St. Bernanrd at the front entrance is probably not the best of ideas. Especially if someone was to walk in with a small child who might be deathly afraid of dogs. And to let him walk around the store?! Isn't that considered a liability? read more

I'm not as appalled as some people are by the "filth" - I mean, this is no Petco. Lots of small pet stores smell like animals, and their floors tend to be covered in dust and footprints. That's normal to me. I even got a ferret here (didn't ask about if he was a rescue or not). The owner has always been friendly to me, although maybe not the most helpful. What I DON'T like, though, is how over the past few years (I got my ferret 3 years ago and have been popping in ever since, mainly just to say hi to the dogs and the super friendly parrots) the shop has gotten progressively more cluttered, and I don't know if this guy is a licensed breeder but his mice/rats are constantly giving birth. And those male quails together? OBVIOUSLY THEY'LL FIGHT. You have 1 dominant one looking all puffed up and perfect, and 3 others all scratched up, bleeding, feathers missing, etc. I'd buy them just so they stop fighting, but I've got nowhere to put them. Some of the metal wheels are rusty, and the ferret cage is usually soiled because... well, not all ferrets like to go in the pan. So you have ferret pee spreading all over the cage and the ferrets walk in it (or are forced to stay in a corner because they don't want to walk in it). And while you might say that it's hard work to keep cleaning it up - paper towels would solve everything. It's not as though there are that many customers anyway, so why's the owner always stuck at the desk staring at the phone? read more

I also wish there was a 0 star option (Yelp, how about it?) for this store. I've been in here a few times because my boyfriend used to have a lizard and this was the only T accessible place to get live crickets. My friends and I call it "The Sketchy Pet Store" because it's such a disaster. The place smells disgusting, and pet stores shouldn't smell disgusting- they should smell vaguely like pets, but no more. (Think about it: if your supermarket smells like food, that's one thing, but when it smells like rotting, that's a sign you should shop elsewhere.) The store was infested with flies, everything was dirty, and the animals definitely looked like they were not well kept. The two I remember best were the old bulldog in the store, who appeared to have an untreated eye infection and was acting ill and lethargic, and the kittens in the window who were cuddled in their litter box from the cold. I've also noticed tons of pets I'm pretty sure are illegal, and one of my friends thought that one of the parrots that was in the bird area is of an endangered species. I really, really wish this place would get shut down! It's disgusting and appalling that animals could be kept like this. They must be paying someone off to still be open. A small pet store that's T accessible is invaluable in Allston, but this one is reprehensible. Do not give them your business! The MSPCA Shelter in JP, the Animal Rescue League in the South End, and the City of Boston shelter in Roslindale all have adoptable pets for comparable or cheaper prices, and their pets get routine medical care and often come with an appointment for follow-up care. Notice that all of the 5-star reviews of this store are from members with fewer than 10 reviews...they're definitely Spelp. UPDATE: So while everything in this store is gross and dirty, they have a ton of aquarium supplies (if you dust them off) and the guy behind the counter actually knows a lot about aquarium maintenance if you need pointers. Even if he doesn't practice what he preaches. read more

Horrible Horrible Horrible!!!!! I have never EVER seen animals in these kind of conditions in a pet store. I have been in commercial stores where the cages look dirty and cramped...but never like this. I don't mind that it's a smaller sized store. What I do mind is the over abundance of animals in small fish tank sized cages. The animals in the front of the store have it a little better off, but nothing I would consider good. As soon as you go in the back where the birds, reptiles, and other small mammals are, it is a complete nightmare. Where do I begin? The cages were absolutely filthy. Let me first mention that I am an owner of several small pets and a pet sun conure parrot. I know that animals poop, and some poop more than others. However, that is no excuse to cram at least 6 rats (there could have been more) in a small aquarium like cage. They were piled all on top of each other, with no hide out of any kind. And boy did everything stink back there. Not that animal smell that some people mind, but it was a urine and feces stink. There are several exotic birds here. Most of them had plucked out feathers and showed obvious agression just when you stand next to their cages. I understand that birds all have their personalities, but a bird should not be lunging at a person that is just standing looking in. And to make myself perfectly clear, I did not touch the cage in any way or put my face close to the cage. The birds that looked physically ok were lifeless and dull. Only a few cages had bird toys in them. Such a heart breaking sight to see. I know that most pet stores have their issues, but the animals here were all in cruel conditions. I was going to buy something, but I would never give money to this place. I can't even imagine what happens to the animals that don't get sold when they age. Shame on the owners and anyone that would support such a place. read more

I wish there was an option for no stars. I am seriously offended. In fact, so offended, that I have reported the place. Yes, there were animal smells. But this place is beyond that- it is filthy. I want to believe the owners of the store are good-hearted, and maybe just a little overwhelmed. But, I can't imagine loving animals, or even just liking them a bit, and letting their cages be a stinking, sordid mess. I was looking to buy a bird, but I don't know if I would. There water was SO FILTHY. The water must have not been changed in days. To drink this water would be taking a risk of being seriously ill afterwards. The smaller animals are packed into cages. It is just incredibly cruel. I wanted to buy all of the animals just to give them a clean cage and fresh water. I can't emphasize enough how sickened I am. read more