Critters & Me

Had the worst retail experience of my life at this store. Brought back a bag of NOT CHEAP dog treats I purchased here because they smelled off and were different consistency than in the past. This is the same treat I buy my dogs all the time so I am very familiar with how they look and smell. The clerk I initially encountered agreed that they did not smell right and called the manager (Adam) over to take a look. Now mind you, I was not angry when I first walked in and was open to. discussion about what may or may not be wrong. with the treats. I was totally unprepared for the hostile attitude of the manager. Never made eye contact with me and acted like I was just trying to rip the store off. I have done a fair anount of business at this store and have never returned anything. He also insinuated that I was attempting to return the product because my dogs didn’t like it, which was simply not the case. Well, «maybe its because they are in a bag instead of a cannister.» No, I informed him I always buy them in the bag and they had never looked or smelled like this. Well, ’ I have to see if the distributor will take them back before I can refund them.” I said what??? You should refund ANY product that is spoiled. He then informed me that this pollicy was in «the best interest of the customers.» .I said what??? How is that? He then disappeared to. evidently call the distributor of the product. He informed me that the distributor or manufacturer had agreed to refund the product «just this once.» I then said any spoiled product should be refunded by the store no matter what. It is part of the cost. of doing good business. He then told me that some of the treats in the store were guaranteed and he would be happy to show me which ones they were! I said, what? Only SOME are guaranteed not to be spoiled??? At this point I told him he was just stupid. In retrospect I should have added rude, arrogant, and totally devoid of customer service skills.
On this note I left. 3 minuutes later, I received a call from a woman who identified herself as the owner of the store. My initial impression was she was calling to try to make things right. Instead she started with «I don’t appreciate you calling my employee stupid.» Really??? He deserved to be called a lot worse lady, and so do you.

Good selection of natural pet foods, treats, toys, and supplies. Good customer service.

Holistic is the way to go. It’s great to get a holistic perspective, which you don’t get from conventional stores or vets, to expand available options. The more alternatives to choose from the better.
That is one thing that makes Critters THE best pet food store in Santa Fe. Critters & Me also carries the best premium brands for dogs and cats and other critters. Staff is very knowledgeable and helpful and shares feedback from customers on experiences with the brands they carry.
They give free samples so you can discover what your critters like and have a no-​questions-​asked return policy in case they don’t like what you bring home for them. I can’t single out anyone on the staff for praise because they’re all truly devoted, friendly, and helpful.
I also appreciate that they are locally owned as I like supporting our locally-​owned businesses.
They have fresh popcorn for the human critters too!
Jeff Nailen

Overpriced. They are so lost on holistic they ignore pet’s needs even if recommended by vet. Food is rich. I will say they do have a good variety of food. But when they recommend Brewers yeast for fleas or diatemacious earth for my kitty I start to cringe. All I wanted was some non rich food for kitten that wouldn’t upset her stomach. Guy at counter started going into a Dark hole and getting frustrated. So. He started putting down vet because he is holistic and vet is not according to him. So where did he get his dvm? Otherwise the store seems ok. One of the staff was helpful most of my visits. Really if you need solutions these people are not the authority but they do make popcorn.

Laura is fantastic! Her wisdom and care has been a lifesaver to our cats. I love that she is willing to listen and really learn about what’s working and not. So impressed.

We love stopping at this place EVERY time that we are in town for many reasons. First: the self-​serve doggie wash is great! They provide shampoo, conditioner, rinses, brushes, large tubs with non-​slip mats, dryers, aprons, towels… everything that you can think of for a mere $ 16. Second, their customer service is downright exceptional. You would think that you have known these people for years and years. They truly care about you and your pets. You just don’t find that at the big box stores. And finally, the quality of their products are unsurpassed. Highly recommended pet store!

Love this store! Staff is super helpful and knowledgeable. Great selection and employees get to bring their dogs to work!

The store is full of supplies of anything you can think of for your pet’s needs. The customer service is outstanding. The selection of food is very good. I also like to spend my money in places where it remains in town.

Wonderful! So glad we have this pet store in Santa Fe. The pet wash is great — the height of the tubs makes it very easy to use. My 75 lb dog will not walk up the ramp to get in, and the staff is always willing to help lift him up there. I also appreciate all of their knowledge and selection of healthy pet foods. Nothing made in China or of questionable quality.

I adopted a 10 year old husky recently from «Bridging the Worlds» animal sanctuary. They told me that Critters and Me did a lot to support them and other animal related non-​profits. Critters & Me is a great store and the owners must have big hearts as they do a lot to help others! Thanks for all you do!

I’ve only been here to wash my dog since they don’t carry our kind of food. The wash area is very nice and the price reasonable. The blower works great and it was nice to be tucked away from a lot of other activity that could further stress the pooches. Or humiliate them further while being bathed. My only gripe is that they only give you 30 min from start to finish. When you have a furry, furry friend, that is almost impossible. Make sure you do the brush out before you get there to make your time limit and step lively. The one staff member I dealt with was nice and it looks to have a wide array of pet products.

The previous reviews do a good job of listing the virtues and pluses of this honorable, ethical, friendly, and community-​minded business, and their four-​star ratings are more than deserved but a little stingy. Having Critters & Me in the neighborhood is a huge asset for us, the owners of a hungry, and often quite untidy or regrettably filthy 80-​pound mutt from the Espanola Animal Shelter.
When distressing news about adulterated or dangerous pet food emerged in recent years, it was reassuring to know we’d been buying the impeccably sourced and uniformly high-​quality brands that Critters & Me offers. The pet food tends to be expensive but I’m not interested in giving my beloved canine the kind of mass-​market commodity diet I wouldn’t provide to any other family member or eat myself. (Earned discounts help defray the cost of their top-​drawer stuff.) Lots of well-​chosen treats, toys, accessories, and supplies available, and always a generous, knowledgeable, kind-​hearted staff.
The pet-​bathing facilities are excellent — a wonderful resource.

They love the critters here and we love them.
Their selection of grain-​free, super-​high quality dog foods can’t be beat. They are very helpful, knowledgeable and always friendly.
There is even a self-​service dog wash in the store, and they supply everything you need, including towels. Just bring the pooch and $ 15. Such a deal.
Also, they have a locals’ loyalty program you can sign up for. Every little bit counts, especially when you’re spending 70 bucks on a bag of dog food =).

OMG! So helpful:) I went in to look at a grain free diet for both my old dog and young cat. They had so many options and were so helpful. They don’t even carry the stuff I used to feed my dog and thought was pretty healthy. They are very meticulous about the food and snack they carry. So happy I found this store!!! My animals ate the food right up and my dog is usually very picky.

I’m still not sure what to make of my experiences with the folks at Critters & Me but I have not been impressed. Truth be told, I am curious as to why they keep getting such high accolades and have come to the understanding that it must be because their name is known.
I’ve had my dogs on a grain free diet for many years, since an elder dog of mine (who has since passed) developed a sensitivity, and have made sure to find what works from them all. The brand I needed wasn’t available at my usual shop so I came down to Critters & Me to find it. During my time trying to shop the woman working there did everything she could to try to convince me that not only should I stop getting grain free but that it was bad for my dogs. I told her repeatedly that the diet was happily endorsed by my vet but she ignored me and continued to point to foods that were the opposite of what I needed and continued to speak to me as if I was a naughty child. After ten minutes of this I left to go to another shop, finding the woman to be nothing short of uneducated and rude.
I have since returned to look for a couple accessories that I’ve yet to find elsewhere but if I have a choice I won’t make any food or sizable purchases there. The food prices are comparable to what I’ve seen elsewhere but everything else is quite over priced (I almost choked when I saw the prices of the dog bowls). There are better places to go.

This used to be a 7 – 11 convenience store back in the 1970’s that was notorious for strong-​arm roberies. Today it’s one of the biggest pet food and treat stores in the city. The staff is usually friendly and knowledgeable, but parking is sparce. I would give this business another star, but their clientel is the usual overly-​self-​absorbed type of people that you find in this city, the same ones who feel self-​entitled to hog the aisles of the store fawning over some sort of product or whatever… I love the business, but the people who shop here need to get over themselves.