Safari Stan’s Pet Center New Haven, Connecticut

This is such a fun pet store! Its small and a bit pricey but its a nice place to visit with kids. You can play with the puppies and pet the small animals. We even held a snake. Definitely check it out if you're in the area.

WHAT THE PUBLIC DOESN'T SEE: I was a vet tech with the veterinary hospital that takes care of the puppies sold through this disgusting establishment. I ultimately left that position because of the emotional toll from the numerous days I would walk into work to dead puppies who didn't survive overnight from severe upper respiratory infections, or parvovirus - because they were born into and transported in disgusting conditions. Puppy mills. And, because tiny dogs are hot commodities, we would regularly see puppies who were only a pound or less, oftentimes suffering from severe hypoglycemia. Sometimes deformities. Sometimes heart issues or liver shunts. My team dedicated countless hours of intensive medical treatment to save as many puppies as we could (and we often failed). Hours upon hours of meticulously timed respiratory treatments, syringe feedings, IV fluids, strong antibiotics, anti-nausea and anti-diarrheal meds. Listening to these puppies struggle to breathe - literally gasping for air. Sometimes barely able to move at all. Wiping the mucous from their noses, cleaning their messes and trying to keep them clean and warm while they went through their fight for life. And a clean bill of health just meant going right back to the pet store to be sold (and potentially reinfected). Imagine putting your heart and soul into helping an animal live, and when they do, they are put right back into the environment that harmed them in the first place, and you knew you would never know if that puppy was happy, safe or healthy again. It was devastating. Please, I strongly urge you to consider rescuing. Please.

I went to purchase a puppy from this location and the Manger was so RUDE I THINK HER NAME WAS DEM she was the Manger of store , I seen a puppy online that I wanted to get from there the puppy was 3800 she was so rude that me and my sister's walk out of store we went to all pets club in Wallingford ct got great service great pet, By the way my wife went to same location to get dog food the date on the dog food was 8/1/2021 we are in Dec food was very old. All pets club service is much better price of food is much cheaper.Plse GO TO ALL PETS IN WALLINGFORD CT GREAT CUSTOMER SERVICE

They take excellent care of thier animals and staff is very knowledgeable. Would def do business again.

Not a great experience. I asked for paperwork on a puppy I scheduled an appointment to see. No paperwork was available at that time. I was told 8t would be available at a later time. I had to ask a lot of questions because they weren't particularly forthcoming. I asked for information on the warranty. I noticed that the puppies were very dirty, particularly in their ears. The employee was nice enough to print it out and hand it to me. I began to read it and lifted my head and the employee was gone. I'm concerned about the wellbeing of the animals here. As busy as they are, I hope the pups are getting the attention they need.

Love how the cages are clean and the dogs are healthy.

Bought my 4 month old English sheep dog for a very good price ! I walked in at the right Moment I got him from the new haven store was very pleased with all the stuff that came included with buying him great store and great staff ! Recommend to buy your puppy here ! Now our old sheep dog has a forever home ❤️

They sold us a very expensive little dog that had kennel cough and ear mites. The salesperson we dealt with had to keep checking with someone else. And I do understand if she was new. Anyhow the good news is the little dog is doing great now after we took her to our vet. UPDATE: 1.5 years later our pure bred Yorkie, who should be about 7 lbs max. Is now 22lbs! She is not a Yorkie but an Australian Silkie. And if you got a warrantee/guarantee with your dog, it is not worth the paper it is written on. Very rude owner and you will never get any satisfaction from them. But, with no help from them, our pup is healthy now and we love her!

Adding to my original review. I filed a complaint with the BBB regarding my dog having a congenial defect that Safari Stans would not honor- also Safari Stans personally contacted my Vet and asked them to change the original documented diagnosis to suit their own needs. Safari Stans never responded to the BBB. They also wrote me a letter saying they only consider certain diagnosis as congenial which is not outlined in their contract. They also wouldn’t not follow up or respond if this dog Breeder does cross breeding. I will be now contacting consumer affairs and states attorney general. I will NEVER recommend purchasing a dog from here. They lie right to your face when signing paperwork. They absolutely do not care about you as a customer or the personal or financial responsibility it is to purchase such an expensive pet. BBB contacted the above referenced company on multiple occasions regarding your complaint. To date, we have not received a reply; therefore, BBB is obligated to close your complaint as a "no response," which will be reported to the public for the next three years.

False advertising puppies. Purchased a puppy advertised as a pure bred, designer breed, only to find out the puppy was a mix of multiple breeds. Overpaid about 3x market value. The puppy is flawless, but Safari Stan’s pricing is unethical.

DO NOT PURCHASE A DOG FROM HERE! I got my Shiba inu 6 months ago from this location. It’s very clear that he had been abused, he is extremely anxious and needs to take medication for his anxiety. Just going outside scares him so much he gets a fever. This has been happening since day 1 of getting him. When I first went to see him they brought him out dirty, smelly and he was so scared he was dragging his back legs behind him. We asked the workers at the store and they told us he was just shy. They also told me he had parvos but that he had recovered from it and how this was very rare. Reading the reviews I see most people saying their dogs from this place also had parvos. They also sold my dog as a pure breed Shiba and it’s very obvious he is mixed. These dogs are coming from puppy mills and this place needs to be shut down. Please do research before purchasing from here, you will end up paying way more in vet visits and medication.

On 6/20/2020 around 1:00 I came into Stan’s (first time) desperately looking for adult crickets for my breeding program. My crickets were all too old. My praying mantids were born and I needed cricket like yesterday. Petco sells sick crickets, they all die every time. I had tried anyway and all eventually died so I tried Stan’s Safari. The young girl who assisted me was great. They did have some adults and she was willing to grab as many as she could and she did! Petco wouldn’t do that for me. So thank you to Stan’s for taking care of me. By the way, only a few had died, they are all thriving, mating and right now the females are laying eggs! But I must give you only 4 stars because I do not like the fact that you sell puppies- that supports overbreeding while there are thousand of great dogs in shelters and foster who need homes. I wouldn’t even look that way while I was in the store. Please reconsider this part of your business. *****August 2021 review-(Woodbridge) Thank you Tony, Gianna, and Cole for helping me out and making sure I got what I came for-healthy adult crickets. Especially Cole, thanks for letting me go through them and trusting me. Because of the healthy stock of crickets and employees who looked out, I was able to get females laying like crazy and did two egg nests for 1 week, each amounting in plenty of baby crickets. And they’re thriving. Got plenty of food now for my mantids and can make more if needed. Pics below are some females laying eggs and just some of the babies, now small pinheads.

Stopped here yesterday for a few cans of dog food and left depressed. Puppies stuffed into too small cages and the look of apathy on a pair of young labs left me heartbroken. Didn't know this kind of pet warehousing was still allowed. It's awful to see puppies housed this way.

I absolutely loved the staff very very friendly and clean cages as well very pleased with this place

Purchased a puppy from the new Haven location. Noticed an issue with his eye and brought him into my vet. My vet advised he has a congenital defect and wrote me a diagnosis letter regarding this. Filed the warranty claim on safari stans website. I was completely ignored for almost a month and I had to make several calls and refile the claim. They called my vet had a phone discussion and asked my vet to redact the original diagnosis and rewrite them a letter. That is highly illegal and they have no authority to change my pets diagnosis. The also emailed me stating that they sell puppies with this eye defect all the time. I questioned them on inbreeding via email several times and was ignored. I told them they cannot have my vet records changed to benefit themselves and was ignored. I paid a ton of money for this puppy and I’m being side washed and they refuse to come to a resolution or honor anything. I just reported them to the better business bureau along with other areas. I will not be taken advantage of and if they’re buying from inbreeding breeders without a single concern then they shouldn’t be selling puppies at all. I will never recommend safari stans to anyone & I will continue to fight for justice. A puppy is a personal and financial commitment and eye sight is not something to be taken lightly. Shame on them.

Cutest puppies ever. Too bad they are stuck in tiny cages. They should be shut down. Puppy mill. Will never go there again. One of the idiot child employees was cleaning the cage and caught the biggest puppies paw in the door. The puppy shouldnt have been in something so small no room to move. Should be closed down.

They take care about what we need and everything is easy to find in the store.

I generally feel uncomfortable seeing animals in pet stores but I was so happy with every aspect of my daughter and my experience here.They welcomed us as soon as we entered, not in an overwhelming way…just friendly. They clearly considered the well being of the animals a high priority. This was evident when they arranged for us to give love to a couple puppies because as they said, “Puppies need to be socialized.” They were clear in requiring us to clean our hands in between pups, cleaned the visitation booth and had us clean our hands again before we visited the second puppy. The food they were feeding the rabbits was very fresh veggies and fruit. They were generally very accommodating and knowledgeable about all the animals we asked about.

Great place to get a dog! Staff was very friendly ????

Clean place , chucky was cool and the tortoise was amazing

This is the third review I've had to write because Safari Stan's repeatedly violates the puppy Lemon Law enacted in 2014, and doesn't respond to my attorney, or, apparently, animal control. Once Again, they sold me a dog who had been sick with Parvo, who was still very ill with diarrhea, frequent urination, and polydipsia. There was blood in his urine, and he was found to be anemic, with impaired GFR and kidney function. Ultrasound revealed he had malformed kidneys, small adrenal glands, and splenomegaly. He has been a very sick dog with, according to the ultrasound report, congenital abnormalities. They have been provided with reports and invoices, and continually ignored my attorney's attempts to collect the reimbursement they are legally required to provide per the lemon law. They obviously neglect the animals in their care, as my dog OBVIOUSLY needed veterinary care before he left the shop, as evidenced by how quickly I had to see a vet, and how concerned the vet was by his results and congenital kidney malformations. He was also severely underweight when he left the shop, which did not impress my vet. Their USDA breeders have very few regulations and standards they need to adhere to, and they buy puppies from people who have failed inspections, refused to let inspectors on their property, have unregistered dogs on their properties, and left sick animals with crusted over eyes, who have been denied veterinary care, on there property. Safari Stan's got my dog from one such breeder, which I found out after my dog was so sick. Do not go to Safari Stan's-ever. They give you sick dogs that are way overpriced, and you don't actually get any of the things they tell you you're paying for. They also had incomplete vet records, and don't follow an appropriate vaccination schedule for their puppies. Save yourself the heartache-go to a reputable breeder. The business owner also emails anyone who leaves a review threatening all sorts of stuff, but the fact is, the business doesn't adhere to the law, and they don't want to be accountable for the health and safety of the very sick animals they sell people.

Don’t purchase an animal from this place!! My daughter purchased a puppy that was sick from the day she brought him home. After literally spending thousands of dollars on hospital and vet bills he has a mass on his heart, kidney disease and hip dysplasia. He is now 5 months old and has no quality of life and is suffering horribly. Safari Sands knew he was sick but they were out to make a buck and sold him to my daughter who is absolutely devastated! I’m questioning what puppy mill they are getting their puppies from. My daughter is heartbroken. Shame on you Safari Stands!!!!! This is wrong in every way possible. BUYERS BEWARE!!!!!! My daughter is now being threatened by the owner.

I cannot tell you how terrible this place is. I was ripped off after I put a $500 deposit down over the phone and found out that they are actually a subsidiary of Petland (LOOK PETLAND UP NOW). For those of you who don't know, Petland is a universally disgraced pet retail supplier that went underground after a documentary on TV exposed all of their animal abuse. They used to be the LARGEST pet supplier in America. And they are LYING TO YOU. These animals are not from a "verified breeder." This is synonymous with "puppy mill." They know that no one will actually head down to Tennessee and see for themselves where their puppy is from. It's doubtful you could even find the person since you aren't given their details. The owner's name is Togi and he's extremely unprofessional and rude. He's rarely ever there, and his employees are absolutely clueless about when he'll be around (or so they say). They try to push you finance an animal if you can't afford one, and if you say no, they start offering to lower the price by $50 or something. A literal 17 year old was trying to negotiate with me. They treat this like a business transaction the whole time, and will be intentionally vague with you if you ask any specific questions. That's because they're trained not to. I tried to get my money back, but they refused. I deposited $500 to have employees email three photos of dogs to me that weren't even the color or gender I requested, until the last email which I didn't respond to. In each email they would mention the exact date and time they would have the animal by and how long they would hold it for me etc. I responded to the first two saying no. I didn't respond to their last email. because I got suspicious of the way they were acting, and sure enough, I discovered they were a subsidiary of Petland and that these puppies were from puppy mills. DO YOUR RESEARCH. Read the BBB reviews of Petland. A woman posted about Safari Stans saying it's a cover for the fact that it's Petland since their image was ruined and they needed a new name. The email on their website is literally @pet.land.com, unless they changed it. I now realize why they were including all that information and emailing me so aggressively because when I tried to get my deposit back they refused. I disputed the charge and they produced email records and my receipt (which I never got since I made the deposit over the phone).So I spoke to multiple other pet stores and not one said that they have this policy. They said they would never have someone put a deposit on an animal they don't even have or know they could get until it was at the store. One of the places I spoke to is All Pets Club in Wallingford, and if you must purchase an animal from a pet store, THIS IS THE PLACE. They are family owned, very transparent business. You can play with multiple puppies and they are all kept in big rooms together, so they can play and sleep in groups instead of being stuffed into small cages. The pens are cleaned regularly, the dogs always have food/water and a bunch of shredded newspaper for potty. I can't recommend them enough. LASTLY and most IMPORTANTLY: If you purchase an animal from safari Stans, you will never get any assistance and you will never get your money back, because THEY OUTSOURCE THEIR CUSTOMER SERVICE TO A THIRD PARTY. This was the same technique that, guess who, Petland used. But wait, there's more! It's actually the SAME company that's changed it's name 100 times so people can't find them. But LET ME TELL YOU. They do this so they don't have to take responsibility for their mistakes or deal with customers who have issues after buying an animal. If you call the store they'll actually tell you to call the third party company, which is a total joke. They don't answer your calls, never call back, and lie about everything. You won't hear back, you won't get your money back. I hope someday they are exposed for the scam they're running. So BUYER BEWARE. You've been warned.

I got 2 pets from here, A Golden Retriever ( male) and a Ferret ( male) they are very knowledgeable about the animals and helpful, even when I had to return items I got store credit without an issue. I used it then and there.

I am here weekly to feed my chameleon as I live in the neighborhood. Also bought my first cockatiel here last year and even though he wasn't hand raised, he is happy and vocal and healthy. Seems clean and puppies seem happy when I visit ☺️

I love this place. They are very clean, they do have animals there. They have very cute puppies there. I can here summer of 2019 and I met this very cute puppy that I fell in love with and wish I was able to adopt him. Very friendly staff. They do have a great covid practice system. Great stuff for a great price. I would highly recommend.

I got both of my dogs here, as well as a hamster and I’ve only ever had wonderful experiences with my babies! My animals are all living happy and healthy lives, thanks to the lovely help at Safari Stan’s????

They sold me a dog from a puppy mill who had Parvo who has misshapen, small kidneys, small adrenal glands, and many other issues. He was sick when I got him. They don't properly observe dogs under their care. Never buy a dog from Safari Stan's. Mine won't have a long life thanks to their negligence and outright neglect. They also get employees to write good reviews for them. Please, listen to the bad ones. Safari Stan's is a puppy mill pet store. Don't get a dog from here.

Fresh mouse for my nephew snake

This store buys dogs from puppy mills. PLEASE do not purchase a dog from a pet store, EVER.