Simply Pets Chesapeake, North Carolina

Staff is Friendly, and extremely knowledgeable about reptilian, amphibian, and aquatic wildlife

Love coming here, and I'm in here fairly regularly for feeders and terrarium/vivarium building supplies. Staff is always pleasant and seem quite knowledgeable, everything is always well stocked, and they have a very large variety of both items and animals. They have the largest selection of reptiles that I've seen in the area, and though I live Pet Paradise, I think these guys have them beat on that part. If I had only one suggestion, I would love to see some dart frogs in the future! They're the main component of my collection, and I'd love to support and buy local, especially when shipping costs are so high for live. Still love them, though!

My overall experience here over the last two years has been mostly pleasant. I purchased my second bearded dragon here last November but he sadly passed away a few weeks ago despite multiple trips to the vet to save him. His passing is in NO way a reflection of Simply Pets and the health of the animals that live there. Though I am not looking to add another beardie at this time, I enjoy coming to this store and seeing a wide variety of reptiles while shopping for supplies. I have had an encounter with one employee who seems very judgmental/sarcastic when asked questions. It’s hard to tell if that’s just his normal tone or if he’s just very passionate about what he does. Either way, I’ve learned that those of us who love exotic pets are often exotic and quirky in our own way! However, I do feel that this employee could use a little coaching/training on how to convey his thoughts/opinions more diplomatically. This store is an environment where people go to gain knowledge and are likely paying good money for whatever they walk out with, just speak to them kindly. I would imagine that MOST customers who come in, genuinely care about those animals too. The store is pretty clean and the prices are comparable to other pet stores. Owning an exotic pet is expensive (I spent almost $1000 trying to save one tiny bearded dragon), so be prepared to spend money anywhere you go. Overall, this is a great little store. PS, please open a second location in Norfolk. We have zero pets stores here! ❤️ I would gladly volunteer and help with running your Social Media!

Their animals are kept in abysmal care. They are keeping male pet mice in one enclosure, when I went one was EATING the other. The tank was right next to the hamster tanks with a giant sign that says “Pet Mice -Male”. I will never go back as the image of these poor animals haunts me..

Great and knowledgeable staff and a great atmosphere. They treat you like family

Great place to get fish

Absolutely love this store. I have gotten my tarantulas from here to everything I needed for my snake. The staff is always helpful and full of knowledge. I am always welcomed and if I ever have a problem or issue they are quick to help.

Love this store and the employees who work here!! Animals always super clean and healthy and the staff is always super nice!

They do amazing job with their pets in the store highly recommend this place

I simply love this shop and the staff as well. Everyone is helpful and courteous. My tarantula addiction brings me in a few times a month and I always leave happy! ????

Quality staff and very well kept store. Will be my go-to from here on out for all things fish, most definitely. I can’t speak on the reptiles/birds/etc., however, because I didn’t branch out from the fish section. My attention was held by all the happy swimmers. Ya love to see it.

I come here about every week-every other week for my baby pythons food (I’m starting breeding after owning pythons for 6/7 years). There was an employee that was just such a big help! He was a younger man, the day I went in he had his gorgeous female ball python with him! I couldn’t have asked for the day to go any smoother! He helped me with temperatures, feeding schedule, shedding assurance, he gave me so many tips and tricks! He and another young man, longer hair with a walking stick are just such helpful, kind people! I only had one bad interaction (he was definitely younger than me. Curly hair, looked about to be in high school) and he was quite rude. But I never held it against the store. I’ve been coming here for years and the manager has always been a sweetheart as well as the employees! It’s definitely worth the drive!

The staff are unhelpful and rude. Each employee also gives different answers about return/exchange policy. I specifically asked if I could buy a lightbulb to see if it was the right size and could bring it back. Literally 10 minutes after I bought it, I came back to get the right size, then they tried to tell me they would not take it back. They also didn’t even have the right size and did not want to refund me. After a heated discussion, they finally refunded me. I will not be coming back.

I have been racing to get here all week They close at 6, I work 9 to 6 I get there 10 min til So I went in rushing because I didn't want to come so close to closing but what I needed WAS THERAPY for me However, ik exactly what I needed I was so excited The owner was so rude They have a 3 for 2 on turtles and I wanted a different breed I'd asked if there was someone else to talk to She was like Hi I'm the owner as she put the containers away Long story short, she refused the sale stating she couldn't sell them if it wasn't educational I said okay I'll jus go somewhere else Then she said good luck cause I'm the only one in the area that sells them I have really bad anxiety and they really calm me I also take them to my school for the kids to play with them Either way, her attitude was unacceptable The shop has a variety of animals & they sell any and everything you may need for ur pets Hopefully, a general employee will help u cause her attitude was very nasty Her energy smells like elephant feces (upon reading the reviews to her business, many other customers thought so too) Her employees are heaven sent! I've been in there at least 3 times Jus to admire the animals The employees are very knowledgeable & very friendly

Great selection and pricing. Clean store and helpful staff. Will be back

Wonderful place to get fish. Always healthy and great prices. The staff are helpful and kind. Very knowledgeable and will set any beginning fish owner up for success as well as offer good tips and tricks to seasoned fish owners. Fish stock is amazing and always changing so worth going several times

Was reading other reviews and as ret. vet ast i have to say they are always cleaning or tending to the animals in the shop when i visit, plus you cant have such a great selection of pets etc and not have dust. Ive owned cockatoos, cockatiels and about every creature around and they create dust, tons of it so the neg, comments are totally unjustified. You can not keep white glove clean anything and enjoy the company of pets. Just needed to get that out there because i have all kinds of pets and constantly clean something but it's a never ending job well worth the effort and these People do a great job at Simply Pets keeping a great selection that is very well taken care of from what i see.

I came in yesterday and everything looked ok, until I got to the snakes. Poor things were shoved in extremely bright tanks without anything to hide in or behind, except maybe a tiny plant. They looked stressed by the way one was striking the glass and others were glass surfing. in reply to the owner: the snakes well being is definitely more important than uneducated people's feelings.

Russell did such an awesome job helping me the other day!! So glad you guys have such a customer driven employee!

My husband called to get an estimate on his rare/ high demanded African cichlids in his collection because he’s switching livestock. He was very polite in his approach, while on the other hand, the owners wife picks up and rudely tells him that they don’t do estimates over the phone; expecting him to fish out over 20+ fish from his tank to get an estimate in person for only 3-4 dollars a fish, regardless of rarity or size. She was extremely nasty in the way she talked to my husband; having zero regard for the well-being of the fish who would have to experience potentially unnecessary stress of being transported and having no regard for us as customers who frequently visit and purchase from this store. Absolutely terrible and unacceptable customer service, we will never come back. In reply to the owner's response: You've had the same sub-species of Mbuna in your tanks for months now, and if anyone has been to see them, it's not hard to see why. Had your employee had just taken the time to hear out his inventory, I guarantee some of the sub-species he owns have never even touched your store or any other store. There was never a statement discussing the accuracy of pricing, just the straight refusal to do so. All you need is the name of the sub-species and size of the fish(information we have) to give an accurate pricing. Had there been any concern for health of the fish, that's something that could've been discussed after pricing, we'd bring in the fish. From there, you could renegotiate or refuse the intake of the fish had you spotted such a concern. That's not what was said, that's not what was offered to be done. Instead you expected him to bring his collection in solid colored five gallon buckets for a price 4x-5x less than you would sell the fish for. That price would only be based off the first couple of fish you see in the bucket. Furthermore, the majority of my complaint has nothing to do with the half-baked offer. It's focused on the lack of professionalism and poor excuse of an owner. My husband was not rude or disrespectful to her in the slightest, yet she had the nastiest approach in her responses to him. To which neither he or I appreciate as he's spent hundreds of dollars, and brought people, in your store since getting into this hobby. As I've read in previous reviews and seen in the store, she's been an increasing issue when it comes to customers and your business. How you respond to most of your dissatisfied reviews is beyond shameful and extremely weak. I see no pride taken to effectively running your business and solving the issues within your store, just pride within yourself. It's no wonder why Jack left. I wouldn't want to work with people like that either. We've taken our business elsewhere, have a great day. :)

Super helpful and knowledgeable staff! We really like thier selection amd the quality of fish and reptiles they carry and they just got in Axolotls!!!

What an awesome store and staff! Definitely will return, they have absolutely anything you need for your homies!

I came in yesterday afternoon to get a my first crested gecko and the man that assisted me was very helpful and nice definitely will be returning for my future reptile needs

I purchased 4 platinum convict cichlids and 4 Geo cichlids and added them to a pristine community aquarium and within 24 hours, every single fish I had in that aquarium died!!! Even the ones that were there months prior! I am so upset I'm out all that money and all my fish. I also purchased quite a few tetra fish and they are all fine. Not one loss there. No refunds... Wondering if the cichlids were ill and contaminated my other fish ????

So happy they sell live feeders!!! Great store and associates. Always friendly and very knowledgeable!!!

LOVE THIS PLACE..IT IS SO CLEAN AND MANY ANIMALS TO SEE..

I use to go to this shop and buy all my pet needs and ever recommended others here but after the way I was treated today by one of the staff and mind you this is the second time this lady was rude to me like I was bothering her and I was trying to purchase some fish but I guess me asking her questions was bothersome to here and I felt the vibe that she just wanted me gone so that’s exactly what I did . There are many other pet stores that are very welcoming and friendly unlike here. So they have definitely lost me and will soon lose more

Thank you for providing our family with some pretty awesome pets!

They are like family ????❤

Last time I went there I had eyed a super orange dream male, but all of the snakes were covered in mites. I went twice after it was brought up in a local group. Also reading the responses from the owner, its clear that proper quarantine measures aren't taken and the responses are anything but professional. The reviews also mention the mites have been an issue for well over a year at this point with no change in status, only a response saying they have a large number of animals coming and going and saying mites are no different then fleas on a dog, which simply isn't accurate or justifiable. If an issue like mites has gone on for this long with no attempt at treatment, then they clearly value the sale more then the QOL of the animal.