Benson’s Pet Center

I go out of my way to travel to this store. My dogs love it and it’s the only place I can find the local raw food I feed them.

All I have to do is watch how my dog Sansa reacts any time I bring her to this place to know how great it is. I’ve been taking my dog to Bensons since she was a pup and everyone their loves to see her whenever she comes and she always loves to see them. They sell a good variety of food including the better brands of dry and canned which I have a hard time finding at the big chains. They have a good selection of raw food options as well. The thing that separates Bensons from other locations isn’t just their products though it is the relationships the employees have with my dog. It is priceless to have a place that I can take her and get my shopping done and not have to leave her at home. A place she is excited to go and can socialize well. I tried doing so at the petco in crossgates commons and after a grooming session she wouldn’t even get out of the car she was so scared to enter. Bensons offers grooming services, has adoption events, and though they can sometimes be pricier on some items than at a larger chain, they are a local business and I am fine with supporting it at the slightly higher margin.

Love it here — can bring your pets if well behaved, which mine usually aren’t :) But, they have a great selection of high quality dog foods. Not only do you get a $ 10 reward card when you hit a certain threshold of dollars spent, but the particular brand of dog food I buy (Fromm) has a rewards program as well — buy 12 bags, get next bag free. The staff is super friendly and helpful, and its in a convenient location. Wish another one would open in Latham, a little bit closer to me!

Benson’s is the best. Spend $ 200, get $ 10 as a reward card. And when you spend $ 60 on a bag of dog food, you quickly rack up the points! Great selection of Lupine. Bought our pup a Lupine halter, the staff said to exchange it for a larger size when she grows out of it and when we did, there were no problems. Huge selection, and prices are the cheapest I’ve found online or at any other store (including Healthy Pet Center and Pet Supplies Plus). So much better than Petsmart and Petco, and a much bigger range of products.

The store is awesome, has everything you need and is WAY WAY better than Petsmart. Even though I think the cashier was stoned, this place rocked.

One of the places that gets most of our pet food business in the area. They have a good selection of better grade foods and treats. Sometimes stock on a particular brand or size can be iffy — i.e. small cans of dog food may not always be available every day. Other than that no major complaints for this locally owned business.

If you have a pet and you don’t come to Benson’s shoot yourself

Definatly the best quality of pet food. Great customer srevice!

High quality dog food is more expensive than feeding your dog garbage. I find the prices for high quality food to be reasonable at Benson’s.
The rewards program rocks.
Get this: Benson’s prices on Kongs are lower than petsmart! like $ 3 less for the same dang toy.
I wish they had a better selection of longer leashes, but its sufficient enough. They have lupine collars and leashes which have a super guarantee/​warranty.
The staff is awesome and friendly.

Benson’s is pretty much the only pet store I’ll shop at anymore. I love being able to support a local business! They only carry quality pet foods. PetSmart and the like don’t even carry the food I feed my pup. Yes, some of the stuff may be more expensive than what you’d find at PetSmart but you really are getting higher quality stuff, which I think is worth it for my little guy.
As others have said, the outside is pretty unassuming. Inside the store is really big and they have an amazing selection, no matter what type of pet you may have.
I try to bring my french bulldog in whenever I come and all of the staff go crazy over him, which is nice to see that the employees really do love pets.
I really love their bone display. They have so many different kinds of bones with different fillings, made of different animals, prices, etc. Really something for every size and kind of dog.
I think the inside could use some revamping and renovations but it is a mom and pop store.
Another perk is that they will give you $ 10 for every $ 200 you spend. It’s not that much, but it definitely is nice and gets me excited every time I get one – which is too often! :)

I love Benson’s. I hate their location (Wolf Road traffic) but I make the trip from downtown Albany because they are simply the best. My loving kitty, Nigel Parker has digestive issues and gets his fancy Orijen cat food from Benson’s, because it’s one of the few places that carries this superb food and has the cheapest price for this high quality food. All of their food is top notch… none of that Meow Mix, 9 Lives, etc trashy food here. I also love their discount program. For every $ 200 you spend, you get a $ 10 savings card. I know that’s not much, but I’ll take what I can get when I shell out $ 45 for a 15 lb bag of kitty food! I love that they are family owned & operated, friendly and have a great selection of specialty food, litters, toys and snacks. Nigel Parker loves when I bring him home toys and treats, including his favorite Greenies.

I love Benson’s. When I lived in Queensbury for a short time I was happy they had one up that way as well.
The Benson’s on Wolf Road is sometimes hard to spot, but it’s always worth a trip to this busy area. They have a great selection of litter and food for my cats and good treats and toys for my dog. I like that the mostly carry high quality foods (as another reviewer mentioned, it’s like they begrudgingly carry Iams) — they even have refrigerated raw food for dogs.
In other pet stores you have to pick through a lot of crap to find something of decent quality — at Benson’s you ONLY have a plethora of high quality items to choose from. And I think their prices are fair for what you are getting.
The folks who work here love animals. When I’ve brought my dog in they are so attentive and caring.
This location has a greyhound rescue clinic on the weekends.

Unsuspecting from the road, but inside, a cornicopia of animal love, in the purest not creepy sense of it lol. They have a great selection of most things, incliding cat food that I like for my little guy a little cheaper. They also have ridiculously cool animal furniture in there that I think I may be suckered into buying for him. The staff was friendly, attentive and knowledgable. Also, if you get a Benson’s card, free of charge, for every $ 200 you spend, you get 10 back. Its small but its a nice little perk. Support locally owned small businesses. I’m a fan and will be returning back to Benson’s.

This place is absolutely *wonderful!* Unlike some (most?) of the other reviewers, I don’t have a dog or cat, but I am a proud betta fish owner. Not only does Benson’s carry an unbelievably wonderful variety of items for all kinds of fish, their wonderfully cared for selection of bettas is worth noting.
You know how most betta fish in the vast majority of pet stores are sick, listless, sitting in filthy cups, and generally miserable? Not here. While the little cups they’re in could stand to be a wee bit bigger, they’re sparkling clean, the fish are healthy and active, and they’re obviously warm and happy — especially compared to the abuse they usually suffer in other pet stores. And yes, I made sure to thank the employees for treating these fish with the respect and kindness due any pets. While it’s a little sad that I felt like I had to thank people for *not* abusing their animals, I’m all about positive reinforcement where it’s due!
It’s also worth noting that Benson’s has several birds and small animals for sale as well, and they aren’t overcrowded in their cages like they often are in larger pet store chains. Yeah, this is a place that deserves the highest praise at all levels! (And their prices are pretty good, too; you won’t have to spend a fortune to feel good about where you’re shopping.)

I admit it, I was skeptical when I first came to Bensons. A bit cramped, not exactly well lit, and tucked away up on Wolf Rd, my lazy ass take me to Petsmart in Delmar. However they have a great selection, and really caring and helpful staff, and are reasonably priced, all the more reason to shop this mom and pop style operation. They love my pooch as much as I do, and have bent over backwards to help me. Best is the selection of food and treats that are all natural, and they will find you whatever you need. Yet they have three other stores and if they don’t have what you need at one store, they will take your number and get it for you. Ahhh customer service, I wish it was everywhere in Capital District.

I love Benson’s. Knowledgeable and friendly staff, good prices and reward program. I got my beardie there in 2006 and she is incredibly healthy. I still get my cat food and litter at Benson’s. It’s worth the 40 minute trip!

I Love Benson’s. I’ve been getting my dogs food there for about a year now. I love their rewards cards because I get $ 10 off for every 200 points i get. =) and their locations are good too!

I love this place. After shopping at warehouse places like Petco & Petsmart it is refreshing to be able to go to Benson’s and ask a question and actually get an answer back. Their employees seem to really care about the customer and seem to know what they are talking about when it comes to pets. They also have a points club where if you get enough points you get a free $ 10 gift certificate. Plus they only carry healthy foods so there is no question as to what you are feeding your pet.

I really gotta give two thumbs up for Benson’s Pet Center. They really know how to take care of their customers. We have birds, and the employees are very knowledgeable about birds, bird care, and bird behavior. They don’t sell big exotics like macaws, but have a good selection of small birds. The store is clean and very well-​stocked, and the prices are low. Bird toys will run you anywheres from 10-​over 50 $ in other shops and online, but here you can find the good, big, indestructible kind for much cheaper. I like coming here knowing I can ask questions and be helped by someone who loves animals and knows about the different needs.

this store is located on wolf road after the real seafood co restaurant and it isn’t very well displayed, i am sure you have driven by it and not noticed it. but if you have pretty much Any pet needs, this is the place to go. it is more of a hike for me than petsmart or walmart or such but it is worth it (i am not knocking petsmart. i love their rescue programs for animals.)
they have great prices on pet food and a Huge selection. and they have a Ton of the healthy for cats food — no corn and mostly meat with the necessary veg. the employees are super friendly and helpful and if you bring your dog in they will give them treats and say hi.
don’t expect to rush, sometimes it takes time to properly greet animals you know.
oh, they also have incentive programs. the food we get (oliver was very ill and vomiting and we thought he may have cancer and be dying as my last kitty who had been doing the same thing was doing and was diagnosed with cancer — no tests, based on her behavior. oh no. i just thought about what this may mean. and i won’t go there. ok. back to the review — june suggested that i try a new food as some cats are very allergic to corn and simply can’t handle it. so we did. and he is better. no more vomit. i am keeping my fingers crossed however.) for our kitties that you can’t find at the supermarket has a buy 12 and get the 13^th for free! i like that.
anyway, it is worth the drive. you should come here.