Family Pet Center

Hole-​in-​the-​wall business which sells high quality pet food at good prices. Good customer service. Shop local!

By far the most knowledgable staff that I have seen! If you love fish and need help, family pet will bend over backwards and help! Thank you for all your help when so many others wouldn’t!

The customer service here is pretty non existent at best. There are couple older workers sitting up front with big frowns and glares and literally just stare at customers. Incredibly uncomfortable and gives me zero motivation to help this small business. No greetings or assistance given at all. The selection is average, the place is a bit run down. They had one very cute puppy for sale in a cardboard box. Really? They sell all these pet supplies and you put him in a cardboard box? Plus the floor is largely grated and the puppy tried to walk a couple times and got scared since he would have fell through and broke its leg if it tried, so it just sat in the little box and didnt move. You couldnt put some flooring or bedding so it walk walkabout? Plus we noticed couple fleas jumping around on his back. We will never stop in here ever again. We went to Pets on Broadway right after here, complete night and day experience; they were super nice workers and nice store… Avoid this place.

I have been a customer for many years. I used to drive down from Longview, WA to get fish and chat with the staff about fish care and experiences. I’m not a fan of the new location, but the quality of the fish and the expertise is still there like it has always been.

Wanted to support small business, but I’m not impressed with the customer service. I’m lucky to get a grunt from any of the employees. Gave it a 2^nd and 3^rd chance, but I think I’ll go elsewhere.

Walked in. Saw puppies and kittens for sale in glass cages. Immediately walked out. Unless you want to support puppy mills, avoid this place. It is not ethical to shop there. The earlier review summed it up: «heartbreaking».

I noticed a lot of one star reviews for the practice of keeping puppies and kittens in the cages. Although I don’t like the practice, I would not say that the conditions these animals are kept in are completely unsanitary. Definitely NOT a puppy mill situation. The animals appear healthy and happy. I did rate them low for the overall appearance of the store. They have a huge selection. But many of there bird products look very old and are dusty. I worked in a pet store for several years and wiping down product was a daily task. It does not appear to be getting done at Family Pet. I also think they need to update there bird cage setup. The cages are small, cramped and don’t get enough light in my opinion. I have been in nicer stores. But I have also been in much worse! Family Pet is doing an ok job. But with the size of there store and the products they offer I think they could be one of the best in town.
I think Family Pet just needs a few updates to bird cages and larger kennels for the puppies and kitties. As well as an overall scrub down. Products should look brand new and not like they have been on the shelf for a long time. I would not buy anything from there. But I will return to check it out from time to time.

I love family pet center. It is one of my favorite pet stores/​aquarium stores in town. Their clothing and dog accessory selection and price can’t be beat.
Yes they do sell small puppies and cats. Sure people could go to the human society but why not sell them? I don’t understand the logic. The dogs are there for very short amount of time longest Ives seen a dog in the store for has been 2+ weeks.
They know a ton about dogs, cats and fish plus birds and small mice and rats.
Don’t let the one star reviews fool you. Their pet food selection is the best priced for really great food in Portland.
It’s too bad they don’t get the reviews they deserve because they sell puppies.

I don’t condone that they sell puppies and kittens at high prices and in small cages. It’s very heartbreaking. You can tell that they are not well cared for. Sad and horrible way to start out life. I will not consider returning my business there unless if they stop selling animals. I hope that they realize what is causing all these bad reviews.

I would really like to give this store 5 stars. I’m in to aquariums, and there selection of product and stock of live fish is very, very nice. There prices are very reasonable and the fish are usually very healthy and worthy of purchase. The customer service is really good– I had once bought fish, brought them home, and discovered that even in a large planted tank they wanted to rip each other apart (serpae tetras). I had called the next day, and asked if I could bring them back for a trade for other fish, and they were more than happy to assist me. They even gave me more fish in the trade off for the inconvenience, which was totally my fault. They did way more than they had to in my opinion. I will return here for good prices, good product/​live stock, and good customer service.
Why four stars? I can’t give any place 5 stars that has puppies and kittens for outrageous prices, let alone the puppies living with their own feces in the bottom of the cage, when so many animals need homes. I wish they would do what other pet store have been doing– Teaming up with Multnomah county animal shelter and having cats and small dogs available for adoption from the shelter. If this comes true one day, I would happily say that this pet store is one of the best on the east side.

This store is right up the street from my house and I really wanted to like it, considering I am a big supporter of small businesses. Upon first walking inside, I noticed it was a bit warm due to the temperature outside being 85+ degrees. The next thing I noticed were 2 very different looking puppies sitting in a display case.
The sign on the window read «Chihuahua /​Poodle Mix». Being the owner of a half poodle mix myself, I knew only 1 of the dogs in the display case matched this description. I asked a younger man on duty if the other one was a Jack Russel and he told me — «No. They are brother and sister. They were from the same litter and came in together.» I’m obviously not stupid. These dogs were definitely NOT from the same litter considering they were both completely different breeds.
I then asked if anyone ever let them out of the display box to play and get fresh air… the reply from the young man was — «They come out several times a day when people ask to look at them.»
I am not okay with the treatment /​care of the animals that are being sold from the store. I am not okay with the lack of honesty /​knowledge from the employees. I am definitely not okay supporting a business that sells what could be (and in my better judgement probably are) dogs from puppy mills.

Family pet center is an amazing pet store. They are a family operated small business who absolutely specializes in expertise. Their aquarium set up is awesome. The owner always has the answer.
I have been a faithful customer for years and love the new building.

I wanted to like this place, it’s close to my moms house and they let the cat shelter I volunteer for post events. From what I could tell the prices were also really reasonable (that’s the only star).
What I can’t condone is the selling of animals. Waiting for the cashier to be free to answer questions I couldn’t help but be drawn in by the cute little puppies. (I am not naturally a dog person) My heart broke seeing the puppies in relatively small cages just desperate for attention. There are thousands of animals that are filling area shelters and in need of good homes.
If they ever stop this sad practice I will be happy to return with my business.

I’m surprised to read so many positive reviews. Family Pet Center continues to sell puppies and kittens in a time when «Opt to Adopt» is a household phrase. I am not sure where they get their kittens/​puppies, but they really just shouldn’t be selling them at all.
I also had a bad experience with them when my African Dwarf Frogs caught a fungus. They gave me a tablet that turned out to be an antibiotic (!) and made the fungus worse. Pets on Broadway gave me some tea tree oil-​based PimaFix afterwards and that did the trick.
Family Pet Center is close to me, but for supplies I travel to Cascade Sation’s PetsSmart, where they feature adoptable grown cats from the Cat Adoption Team. And for any special needs I always go to Pets on Broadway first, where they do *not* sell puppies and kittens and have fair prices on their inventory.

I might be a little biased, because this store is right around the corner from my house, but it really does offer a great selection and great prices for the things I need for my dogs. They even sell the vaccinations that I can give by myself (I don’t have to worry about long lines and inflated prices for vaccination clinics). I found the store because it stocks a dry dog food that they don’t have at many of the larger stores. They’re friendly, knowledgeable, and convenient. Kudos.

Smaller pet store more complete
With the big boys like PetSmart and Petco dominating the pet business, it’s a rarity to see a smaller pet store still competing. Family Pet Center can meet all of your pet needs with more personal service to match.
I recently made the trip out there to pick up some specialty dog food that I was having trouble finding anywhere else. The owner was incredibly helpful, while I asked him several questions about my new puppy, Bella. I ended up leaving with a harness, which he helped me fit, some tablets for itchy skin and a brush that will save a lot of money on professional grooming. Yes, he was a good salesman, but he offered sincere suggestions to some issues I was having with my new baby.
Surprisingly, their prices were on par to the bigger stores, yet the service far more personal. If your pets are like family to you, check out this complete and helpful pet store.
Tip: Looking for a quality dog food that’s in the medium price range? Try Chicken Soup for the Dog Lover’s Soul. Yes, it’s pet food, not the book. My vet recommended it to me as a healthy choice that does have any by-​products in it. My dogs love it. And just so he doesn’t get jealous about not being named too, my oldest pup is Sammy.