Not to be confused with The Pep Zone, which is the Etihad Stadium, where Manchester City pay, I mean play. I found this place heartbreaking and not just because there are so many dogs begging for homes and not just because the concept itself is very sad - but also because the conditions weren't very good, and they often aren't in shelters either but those are no profit places, and this is a profit making store, so I don't get it. I mean I get it but I don't want to get it. I've seen worse but it's still heartbreaking and I highly encourage you to adopt a dog from a no-kill shelter rather than places like this, so that a place like this doesn't have the money to keep doing what it's doing. read more

The Pet Zone - I wanna pet your zone - Pet Stores Near Me - Albany, New York

I have purchased 2 puppies. One was returned immediately due to sickness. The other was matted, covered in its own poop and urine to the point the Vet had to completely shave her. The workers stated to me, we are not allowed to wash them. I kept my puppy which was way over priced for her own safety. It's been a year and half. My puppy has had many vet visits. Her neck is deformed, which causes many expensive bills. She is the most loveable fur baby ever, yet she was not full breed, she is not a healthy pup as they state. Her pedigree papers according to vet can not be accurate. She is not a mini poodle only. Definitely a mixed breeding. If you can not properly care for the animals by cleaning them you should not be allowed to cage nor sell them period. read more

purchased a Cavapoo puppy from Pet Zone on 11/20/23. The puppy was given a clean bill of health by their vet. After getting him home we took him to my local vet day after purchase. He had Ear mits Kennel Cough Giardia Fast forward the cough got worse quickly and he had to be hospitalized in an ICU for 2 days. That bill was over $3,700 ! Fortunately, he has since recovered and I had to submit these bills to the Pet Zone people . I was reimbursed $3,700 ( purchase price plus tax ) so at least I got that back. Still out the money for the hospitalization. My advice, don't make an emotional decision and purchase a puppy from Pet Zone. My guess if we didn't take him, he would have been a goner. Finally at no time did we get communication asking about the dogs status. Don't buy here at pity the poor pups who land here. read more

We adopted a sweet chihuahua from Pet Zone. It was a fun, exciting experience and Sabrina (vet tech and assistant manager) and Alex were a tremendous help! They have beautiful, healthy dogs. They send you home with everything you need to have for your new puppy. read more

We have been looking for a cocker spaniel puppy and this location had one so we figured we'd go to see him. We didn't really know much about him other than he was 11 or 12 weeks old. We were surprised he was still available for adoption as he was very cute. We got there and saw that he was the star attraction as they had him on the floor in the front of the store with a circular fence around him. He had no wee-wee pads under him which was surprising and he was feisty so he kept moving the fencing as he tried to put his nose through the bars to greet people and to play with his toys. We had wanted to go into a room with him but all the rooms were filled so we had to wait. We looked at his cage and saw a tag that said $300 off. We asked a store clerk for the price and she said he was $4,600. Huh? So originally he was $4,900 or even more possibly? Wow. I can understand that the store has to make money but that was way too much for us. A family was there looking at another dog and as they go to leave the Father asks the store clerk if there was any way they could come down in price and the clerk said sorry no and he said that's too bad - now my family is heartbroken. Now I know why the little cutie is still there which is sad - I'm hoping eventually he gets adopted. I can't say that I'd come here again. read more

I just was there two days ago. I see lots of people holding and playing with the Puppies. They look sad, cause, wouldn't you be sad in a cage as a baby, being stared at all day and nobody taking you home? No close connection beyond a few minutes with somebody the never seen before? Anyhow, I asked question and though the sales people where helpful and friend. I saw one employee washing a cage on my way out of the store. Condition may have been bad a year ago, but doesn't seem that way now. I only left three stars, cause if no fault of them, did not buy a dog. So can't say anything about Heath of dogs. read more

All these pet stores that sell dogs get their dogs from puppy mills. It's unethical and wrong. You are going to pay at least $3000 for a dog whose mother probably produces 2-3 litters per year with no regard for the well-being of the puppy's parents or the puppies themselves. Do not buy your dogs from these pet stores. read more

This is my favorite store to shop for my black lab, Blue! It is so clean and everyone is so helpful. They have the best selection around and the prices are fair, unlike the big box stores. The girls that work there really know what puppies and dogs like to play with at home. We sometimes like to go in just to see the kids and families pick out their new puppies. They bring such joy to the children! read more

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Just an update on the situation. My puppy survived after a few months of treatments the pneumonia finally went away. It took a very long time for their garbage insurance company to respond and reimburse me with some of the money spent. He is a sweet dog, but the "show dog" qualities are absolutely not there. He is a runt (about the size of a small female) with a weird eye that points out, blocked tear ducts, and not so bright - very slow learner (but I love him!). I may sound mean but I'm pointing out the negatives because I paid top dollar for him, a dog that I though would be healthy and I may breed one day. My suggestion to you is that if you are going to pay top dollar for a dog go to a breeder that really cares about their animal's health. Not a store that is trying to make a profit off dogs like this company. It's really sad, I was excited at first when I got there and made the purchase and I wish I did my research on them before I bought my dog. Save yourselves a huge headache, heartache and LOTS of money. read more

Absolutely the worst store in the mall. The puppies are kept in conditions that are degrading to the animals. One puppy in particular that we saw was covered in feces and urine all over it's butt and hind legs. This is in no way shape or form how an animal should be treated. The female employee was notified that the puppy was irritated by the mess it had all over his butt and that he had been dragging his butt on the tiles in one of the interaction rooms. She went to pick the puppy up to clean it and put it away. This poor innocent puppy was so terrified of the worker that it hid behind my friend and I and then backed into the corner to hide from the worker when she told us to come out of the room. To add to it all, while walking around the store we noticed blue door with no handle and a sign that said "employees only" on it. Behind this door was the heartbreaking sounds of innocent puppies crying and whimpering. This store needs to be shut down but unfortunately that's easier said than done as people continue to spend money their and fill the stores pockets with cash. I beg you not to go there and to not spend even a penny at this place. If you're looking for a dog or a puppy please go to a reputable rescue shelter or breed specific shelter if you're looking for a certain breed. How many more innocent puppies need to suffer in this prison of a store before any action is taken to shut them down?! You may also note that in various other reviews for this store from people who have purchased puppies from this prison that the puppies they purchased were found to have been very sick and some underweight. Again, DO NOT GIVE A PENNY TO THIS PLACE read more

I purchased a puppy from the store in Crossgates Mall. I had the pup less than a week and he became sick. I was rushing to my vet and by the time I got there, which only takes 20 minutes, the pup had died. I was heartbroken. I would never purchase another pup from that store. I contacted the store and then drove up there with all my paperwork. I did get a refund, but that isn't the point. I had already loved my little guy. read more

Run from this place. My son bought a dog here, or so he thought he bought it. It turned out to be a lease. He asked the salesperson repeatedly if this was a purchase agreement he was signing, and the sales person replied that it was. Now he has a lease for a $1300 dog that will cost $3400 to pay off and purchase. He's made $1150 in payments and they told him if he pays it off now it will be another $1800, or if he wants to return the dog it will cost another $1400. RIPOFF. The so called "financing" is done through Wagslending.com and they actually sell the account to Monterey Financial. read more

Ok so the lady who sits at the counter whom you go to if you want to see a puppy is extremely extremely EXTREMELY rude. She did not let us see the puppies in spite of visiting on different days. read more

Would never buy a dog from here. The employees have snotty attitudes dont know anything. The dogs that bite and go after you and bite your privates or arm i say something and they claim its teething. Dont waist your money or time with this joke of a place better off adopting from a shelter. read more

I love the amazingly large selection of toys. Every time I come here I can't help but to get my dog a new toy. I purchased my puppy here and love him. He is awesomely smart and has been very healthy. I want to get him a little brother or sister soon. read more

Please do not support this pet store. During one visit, I witnessed rabbits being delivered in cages by a 'supplier'. They were piled 3/4 on top of each other in a tiny wire cage and panting with distress. The fur on their paws was dirty and matted indicating the dirty conditions they must be raised in. It reminded me of the unfortunate images you see from far eastern countries where animal welfare is not as advanced. I am shocked that people continue to support this chain of stores. The puppies and small animals are kept in cages with no blankets or comfort and must stand on wire flooring so their urine and feaces drop through the holes. At the very least rabbits need hay bedding which is changed daily. The staff do not talk to the animals or help with their socializing. This is an important time in a puppies development and to be locked away in a cage is absolutely disgusting. Staff also allowed animals to go unsupervised in a little cubicle with a family which then shrieked and screamed at the puppy. I could go on but will stop here. Please visit your local shelter or a reputable breeder if you are thinking of getting an animal. Do not support this store. read more

We were viciously assaulted by a Zu Chon while his handler Amber was nowhere to be seen. Our screams resounded through the entire store and she took her sweet time to assist us, and proceeded to give us attitude as though we were the problem! The 10 minute minimum is to restrictive as you can be forced to interact with a puppy that you don't click with. Not worth returning. read more

The tall caucasian blonde female employee was disgustingly rude! My friends and I put our names down on the waiting list to see the dogs and the guy employee was super nice and told us 30 minutes but then she interrupted and said it was an hour. We left to walk around for a bit and came back and then she told us we couldn't see the dogs anymore because we had "been called". So we asked if we could be put back on the waiting list and she said no that we all had to go in at once to see one dog or we could leave the store. She then told us to get out of the way because we were in "the middle of the store". We were looking to see what kind of dog was best for us to take home but she completely ruined the good intentions we had. She definitely made the experience extremely uncomfortable and needs to learn how to interact with customers . read more

I went to visit and watch the puppies with my roommate and I walked around the store to see the other animals. They had a few betta fish and being the betta enthusiast that I am, I thought I should take one home. The betta fish were all in bad shape and stuffed in smaller cups than the ones in Wal-Mart, Petsmart and Petco. I eyed a pink one and bought it, wanting to nurse it back to health as I have experience in the area. As soon as I got home he started zipping back and forth and died. The cashier never gave me a receipt and I called the store explaining the situation and was told the manager would call me back to see if anything could be done. I am still waiting on that call. If you want a quality betta fish, I recommend Davey Jones' locker or even Petco (the Petco chains take better care of their fish compared to Petsmart and definitely better than Wal-Mart). read more

Why has Crossgates not closed down this store yet? You should not be able to get a new family member at the same place you buy your sneakers and handbags at. Pet store puppies come from puppy mills and places where the mothers are overbred and living in bad conditions. No reputable breeder would let their puppy go to a puppy store. Stop buying dogs from this place! Crossgates needs to close this store down!!! read more

This was an awful place! The animals were without food and water, the smell was unbearable! Not to mention the completely uncaring staff who refused to help the puppy surrounded by chemicals in dirty water buckets. I actually went to "everything pets" for help, they were horrified with the pictures I showed them and the story of the manager jobeth and her mistreatment of the animals. They helped me find the organization to turn in the pet zone. read more

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We found our Evie at the Pet Zone in Albany. We just stopped in to see as we were shopping for a purse for my wife needless to say she got both. Evie is awesome. We new she was ours the minute they brought her into the puppy play room with us. Our experience was great. Evie was clean and playful. Our vet in Burnt Hills gave her a clean bill of health. We couldn't be happier. read more

This location is the absolute worse the dogs are malnourished and having seizures and when the staff was advised they did not care ! How do you work with animals and not care about animals stay aware buyer beware read more

Way too overpriced. The minimum cost of a puppy, before taxes, is $1000 but most of them are quite a bit higher (averaging around $2000). I guess that's the reason they don't keep price tags next to the cages lol. And they really should do something about their employees. It was hard enough to get their attention but the real kicker was having to repeat myself multiple times to get an answer to a simple question: What the general price of a puppy is? read more

We had a much different experience than others of this post. The staff was friendly and took their time answering all of our questions. We were told about the breeder and saw her inspection reports which were all good. Our dog is now 6 years old and has been very health. We could not imagine not having her as part of our family. My family and I recommend The Pet Zone in Albany, NY. read more

, would have given it a zero if I could. All the dogs are OBVIOUSLY not purebreds, and the staff seems to all be either 14 and clueless or insanely rude (male manager). We were interested in the "Chihuahua" there, and as we were playing with him it became evident that he had quite a bad case of kennel cough. We informed an employee that the dog was clearly not well, and she told us he had been seeing the vet and had a sinus infection. Upon hearing this, the manager very condescendingly yelled at her, and tried to tell us that since the dog had been handled by a lot of people, he had somehow contracted an inter-species cold from them. He then told us that the dog was on medication (doubtful - we made the mistake of getting our first dog from this chain and he was also sick, and came home with no meds), and that he saw the vet weekly. On top of all of this, the health guarantees they try to sell you are complete nonsense. As I previously mentioned, we bought our first dog from this chain over a year ago. He, too, had kennel cough, and when we sent all the information necessary into the main offices for a refund for his medical bills (as promised in the contract I signed), we never saw a dime. He is allegedly a "longhair Chihuahua," but he is in fact quite patchy, and may never grow a true long coat. You could get a dog in much better health - and actually a purebred - for at least a seventh of the price from a local shelter, and I highly suggest you do so. A shelter will most likely allow you a two week "trial period" with your life and your existing pets, unlike this store, where once you buy a dog, you are stuck with it, regardless of compatibility. read more

The Pet Zone is an amazing store that has the sweetest cutest little puppies and for a pet store it always smells clean , you can't even tell there are live animals, these puppies are well taken care of! read more

I have bought two puppies from Petzone and both my puppies were heathy and happy. I appreciated the staff for explaining warranty and suggestions for the puppies . I would get another from them read more

Was here after the holidays and the place smelled so bad you could smell it out into the mall area. I suspect that no one came in during the days the store was closed to care for the poor animals. I hope they were at least fed and watered so they weren't hungry and thirsty while having to live in the stench of their feces. Sent emails to the 'family owners' but had no response, they are probably too busy visiting puppy mills to reply. Disgusting, unhealthy and inhumane. read more

I have to agree with the previous reviewer. This is the most depressing and heart breaking pet store I've ever visited. It stinks, the dogs and puppies look miserable and the staff are completely disinterested in the animals and customers. Don't support puppy mills by supporting stores like this one. It does break my heart to see all the sad dogs and puppies in the store though :( read more

Horrible place!!! The Girls at the counter are nice and knowledgeable. That is what makes you feel initially OK spending the over priced amounts on the dogs. However, they do no type of screening to ensure responsible ownership or safe placements for the dogs. If you have any problems after the sale, forget about it! They do not care, and the manager at the crossgates location is a liar. He tried to divert me from speaking to the owner when I had a serious concern about the aggressive behaviors of a puppy I made the mistake of purchasing from them. When the puppy aggressively attacked my child three days after coming home, Not only was I ignored for two days, but I was lied to and ignored by the owner even with this serious concern. Then I was forced to either surrender the $2,000 puppy or exchange it. The idiot manager actually tried convincing me it was more "humane" to exchange?! All I wanted was a refund, especially after being lied to and diverted by the idiot at the Crossgates location. There are so many better selections in the capital district, as this business is only concerned with their profits and the safety of the puppies is not on their radar. The animals are just the "goods" moving through the store. Pretty sad! I was lied to several times, and when they tried giving me the "exchange puppy" they also tried adding more money to the price. When I called the manager out on his mistake, he had the nerve to call me a liar. All in all, terrible place and I hope they go out of business because they really do not care. Don't be fooled by the sweet and knowledgeable clerks at the store! Their superiors are horrible people!!! read more

I put one because there isn't a LOWER option. They hire newly working teens to "take care" of these dogs but this is solely to avoid being discovered by someone who is experienced and knows how to properly care for an animal. I took out a Boston terrier tonight and my friend took out a cocker spaniel. We asked to take out whatever puppy needed the most love tonight. You could see every rib. The Boston wanted nothing to do with me at first but after 20 minutes, he was climbing on my lap and asking for belly rubs. Puppies need love! No bedding and NO COMFORT was provided. No newspaper or anything but bars and surgical room lighting all night long. I watched a Jack Russell and chihuahua shaking and curling into balls to conserve heat in the chilly store room. I am a dog mom of a healthy Boston and it made me sick to see these animals in such poor health because of absolute negligence and corporate greed. DO BETTER. Stop selling sick dogs for 2,000+ bucks and give them to a loving sanctuary to prepare for a happy home. Sickening. Making a report. Won't be the first time for this place. read more

if i could give this place 0 stars while i was there today me and the person i was with realized that there is a door that says "employees only" in the back of the store and we heard puppies crying and whimpering. i just recently went in there with a friend of mine to play with this cute adorable white cotton ball of a pup. we were playing with him and then realized something was agitating him and there was poop all over his butt and he was dragging it on the floor. meanwhile he is a white puppy and i noticed that his feet were yellow like he was walking in his own pee. than when it was time for us to go and put him away i called the worker over and when she opened the door she sat next to the person i was with and the worker said "you guys can come out" we started to walk out and this innocent puppy backed in the corner to get away from her like she had done something to this dog that made this innocent creature not want to go back in that crate. before we left we mentioned that the puppy had poop all over his butt and she just shrugged and said okay. i didn't want to leave that dog there but i had no choice and it just broke my heart. read more

Went to the Albany store. Only one employee who spent 5 minutes talking to someone looking at a puppy. He then moved to the next room not even looking at the counter where I had been waiting the whole time. When I called him on it he got insultive and loudly proclaimed I had a attitude and he had done no wrong and if I didn't like it I could leave his store. So I said no problem and left. Will not go back read more

Poorly trained staff at Crossgates Mall store location. Misleading advice on financing with WAGS. DO NOT ENTERTAIN THIS OPTION. I intended to payoff the loan amount within 30days after being told by the store manager this was possible without any additional fees/penalties. This was not the case. My dog was sick without my knowing this until I brought him to the Vet. This was another $150 out of pocket which I submitted to the insurance company. Still waiting on the reimbursement. I trusted the advice given as I'm a first time buyer and now regret my decision and ignorance. Never again will I step foot in this establishment nor will I recommend this outfit. Regional Manager was useless too, slow response and I could tell he was reading from a script. read more

I bought a puppy over the weekend and it was the most adorable little thing I had ever seen. At the time of purchase the puppy was playful and seem to be happy. However, the puppy became extremely sick within the 24hrs of having it home. He was very lethargic and would not eat or drink water all day. It was on a Sunday so I decided to take him to the emergency hospital and they treated him the best they could. It came down to him having a respiratory infection and possible pneumonia. Unfortunately, I had to return him because I could not afford all the vet bills (spending $1k within 24hrs of having him), but the vet thankfully kept him and hopefully he doesn't have to return there. Also, the manager there is a heartless person and really doesn't care about the well-being of these innocent puppies. Please avoid buying pets from that store or even visiting it. I made a mistake of doing that myself. Buying from there just supports the use puppy mills to obtain dogs and these puppies have most likely been living in terrible conditions. I hope they get closed down soon, and if you're looking to buy a puppy use a highly reputable private breeder or adopt! read more

NEVER EVEN CONSIDER THIS BUSINESS. My puppy was so sick that he did not live longer than two weeks after I bought him! I purchased a puppy from here with caution, because I have heard puppies from here are ALREADY sick a lot of the time. When I questioned them, both workers assured me multiple times my new puppy was perfectly healthy. Immediately on the way home I noticed he had an extremely raspy cough. I brought him to the vet, the medication that was given did not help. His condition worsened and worsened. In total, I took him to the vet five times (in just two weeks). The vet trips definitely add up $$. Not to mention his price was expensive enough. I was forced to syringe feed him special food, watch IV's and feeding tubes get inserted into him, and then when absolutely nothing worked he passed away right on my lap. I was traumatized to say the least. It was one of the most emotional experiences I have ever endured. I spent days and days crying my eyes out in the veterinarian's office trying to heal this poor puppy who passed away WITHIN TWO WEEKS. When I called Petzone after he passed away, a worker actually accused me of it being a joke. It has been 6 months and I was never issued a refund after all paperwork was sent in.. TWICE. I bought this puppy thinking it was going to bring so much joy into my life. It was an awful experience and nothing was EVER done about it by the company. I am still disgusted and working on at least a refund of the purchase price and vet bills. However, no amount of money will fix the distress that was caused. My entire family was heartbroken. I will never forget how absolutely awful this was. Please do not support this business! read more

Where do I begin? I bought my puppy from the pet zone in crossgates mall. He was a 12 week old Siberian husky I payed about $2000 for. I was told he was completely healthy, he had never been on any meds, and had all his shots. Me being a first time dog buyer should have known he didn't have all of his shots, but that's not a big concern. The dog had the worst diahhrea starting as soon as we got home so I chalked it up to stress. four days later it wasn't getting any better so I took him to my local vet. The vet informed me while looking over his paper work he had been on meds for coccidia and giardia for only 3 days which isn't even close to the amount of time to treat him. So this poor puppy was infested with parasites and not feeling well the whole time. Both these parasites are contagious and I have a 20 month old baby in the home. when I called to confront the manager he didn't call back for 3 days, and when he finally did he made it out like I was the idiot saying " I thought it went without saying puppys get parasites", and was very rude to me the whole time. If they had told me before purchasing him that he needed these meds for his health then I could of kept him separate atleast. ALSO now doing research on the breeder my puppy came from a puppy mill from a lady who had 192 dogs on site and some were very sick. I'm working on getting a refund back for my vet bills :( read more

i know for a fact that they do not buy from puppy mills. i had gotten my puppy there and they had proved to me that all the breeders that they get their dogs from are USDA certified. when ever i had gone into the one in the aviation mall, it was always clean and smelled wonderful, and they always have a dog out playing. they were playing with the pupies giving them treats and teaching them tricks. read more