Store of the Month – July 2019

Pet & Aquatic Warehouse

2408 Wards Road
Lynchburg, VA 24502
(434) 239-6787

Website: http://petaquaticswarehouse.com
Reptile Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pawreptiles/
Aquatic Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pawaquatics/

Store Hours:
Monday: 10:00am – 9:00pm
Tuesday: 10:00am – 9:00pm
Wednesday: 10:00am – 9:00pm
Thursday: 10:00am – 9:00pm
Friday: 10:00am – 9:00pm
Saturday: 10:00am – 8:00pm
Sunday: 1:00pm – 6:00pm

 

Our Store of the Month for July is Pet & Aquatic Warehouse (PAW) in Lynchburg, VA! Storeowner Chris Herndon originally got into reptiles when he was 7 years old when his father brought home a Swift Lizard. This spark continued to burn as he grew, and throughout childhood, he cared for a Savannah Monitor, a Senegal Chameleon, a Caiman Alligator, and a Green Iguana to name a few. The Green Iguana was by far his favorite, and in high school, he built her an enclosure the size of a shower stall!

The passion Shane and his dad shared turned into a business in 1997 when Shane’s dad opened up PAW. This decision came after 30 years of pet store management experience and a lifetime of loving animals. This store continues to thrive and is now the largest independent pet store in Virginia.

Their reptile department shares the upper floor of this 40,000 square foot store with small animals, birds, and dogs. However, that does not detract from the scale of their reptile selection, as it is the largest in Virginia. They carry a wide range of captive-bred animals ranging from Leopard Geckos to Frilled Dragons, Corn Snakes to Kingsnakes, boas and more. Those that like invertebrates will leave satisfied too, as they have Pink Toe and Brazilian Black Tarantulas, Scorpions, Centipedes, feeder insects, and more. If you don’t live nearby, they’ll ship animals to your door!

If your pet needs feeder rodents instead of insects, fear not as they have their own rodent breeding facility and plan on expanding it soon to become completely self sufficient.

Their lower level is exclusively devoted to aquatics, and they have over 5,000 gallons dedicated to salt and freshwater fish. Seasonally you’ll find an outdoor pond area full of plants and fish as well.

Of the many animals at PAWS, Shane has his favorites. For reptiles, his current favorite is Crested Geckos, but he says “ I think Sugar Gliders are probably the most difficult animals to work within a retail pet store. They’re always asleep when the store is open, and get grouchy when you wake them up.”

When asked what makes this store unique, Shane replied, “There is a lot that makes our store unique. We are a full-line pet store that not only carries the common pets but we also offer all types of exotic pets and supplies… Our staff is specialized, for example, our aquatics staff only works in the aquatics department and our reptile staff only works in the reptile department. This helps our employees to focus their knowledge and learning on those specific hobbies. We pride ourselves on providing excellent customer service and building relationships with our shoppers. Not only are we a family-owned business, but we are also a family-operated business.”

If you live near Lynchburg, Virginia, make sure you go into the Pet & Aquatic Warehouse!

If you visit during the month of July, take a selfie while you’re there and post it with #zmstoreofthemonth for a chance to win $100 of Zoo Med products of your choice!