7 things to look for in a reputable pet shop

How do you know you’re getting only the best for your pets? From the quality of the products you’re buying to the customer experience you can expect. There is nothing worse than trying to find that elusive harness that fits your *very specific* breed of dog, but not a member of staff in sight to help. Or getting home and realising there’s a fault with your dog’s toy, only to find out they won’t accept returns (red flag right there!).

So, whether you’re buying online or visiting in-store, what are some of the green flags to look for in a reputable shop?

1. Animal savvy staff

Safe to say, if a staff member flinches when you bring your dog into the store, it’s not a great start! Staff should be comfortable around animals, and you’ll find that the best shops will even give out the odd treat, especially for those that are a little more nervous.

We love to welcome dogs into the store, and if you’ve got a very nervous dog or one that doesn’t like other dogs, we’ll happily arrange an appointment for you after closing so you can pop in for a harness fitting and stock up on supplies.

2. Knowledgeable staff

Reputable pet shops are really up on their pet product knowledge. If you want to safely switch dog food brands or find the best harness for a wiggly Cocker Spaniel, and the staff are coming up blank, it’s a red flag right there.  Staff should be trained and knowledgeable in most areas. If they don’t have an immediate answer for you, they’ll know someone who does or go out of their way to find out for you.

It’s our job to help customers navigate these things. Most days you’ll find us talking to customers about worming, cat behaviour, chewing and biting, and so much more.

If you’re even unsure about anything, we’d always rather you ask so you can leave with the right product for you the first time.

3. A clean environment

When you have dogs in a shop, you have to expect accidents.

We deep clean our floors regularly, and we make it very clear to people that we have no problems with accidents. Just let us know so we can clean it up asap.

If a Pet Shop shames people about accidents, then guess what? People don’t come forward to let you know it’s happened, and before you know it, the shop turns into one big marking pen for dogs. Ewww. Not nice.

If you know our owner, Paula, you’ll also know that she keeps a tight ship! It’s only natural that a pet shop is going to get dusty, so all good pet shop owners have to build that into their daily tasks, as it can get dirty quickly. It’s something we pride ourselves on.

4. Recommendations

A great way to check up on a Pet Shop and see how reputable it is, is to check Google reviews.

We have tons you can read through here. This will give you a good understanding of everything about the pet shop and what to expect. A good pet shop will also respond to reviews. Especially the odd review that might not have lived up to expectations. Dealing with it professionally and with understanding.

5. Online Presence

Having an online presence is helpful because you can get a feel for a pet shop through its social media and website. Beyond the standard ‘here is a list of our latest raw foods’ posts, you should be able to see the Pet Shops’ personality shining through, their values and their involvement with the local community. 

When you pop and see us, you’ll know that we don’t take ourselves too seriously, but that we’re also professional and empathetic.

When our customers come in and tell us that our beloved pet friend has passed, we’re there for them, we’ll even put the kettle on (because tea fixes everything right?).

When you want a bit of light banter to brighten your day, we’re here for you.

Follow us on TikTok for our very amateur (but hilarious we think!) videos expertly crafted by Kim. You’re welcome!

6. Ethical sourcing and animal welfare

 A pet shop that cares will put ethics before profit.

We don’t sell devices that we consider to be harmful, such as prong collars. We also do a lotta research into our brands. From sourcing as many local suppliers as we can, to all your favourite UK-wide brands. We check ingredients and only source products we’d be happy to give to our animals.

We don’t sell animals, but if you’re looking for one, we can probably point you in the direction of someone we know. Welfare standards in pet shops for animals are generally pretty poor, but we can help advise on that too.

7. Convenience and flexibility

We love our local community; they’re the ones that keep us going and support us!

We’re as flexible as possible and support them right back.

That’s one of the reasons we set up the click and collect service, for those that are unable to make it into the store, who can now shop from the comfort of their chair (or the bath, or toilet, we’re not judging!). And if you can’t collect yourself, you can send someone else to do it for you.

We open later for anxious dogs. We’ll take bookings for harness fittings and can have private conversations about pet care in our office.

We treat people how we would expect to be treated. Customers are our friends, people who we’ve known for years, animals that have become our friends. We’re always looking at making changes as time goes on, and open to any suggestions you might have so let us know if there is anything you’d like to see.

There you have it – not an exhaustive list, but a pretty extensive one with our top 7 things to look for in the best pet shop for you.

If you’re local and you’ve not yet visited, we’d love to see you! Introduce yourself and say hi, and don’t forget to sign up for a reward card so you can earn money while you shop to buy even more treats for your animals.

Click and collect here.