Store of the Month – November 2019

GARDEL PET SHOP

955 10TH STREET WEST
OWEN SOUND, ONTARIO
N4K-5S2, CANADA

Gardel Pet Shop is in Owen Sound, the county seat of Grey County, Ontario, Canada. This full-line pet store caters to surrounding areas of Grey and Bruce regions with all their reptile, fish, pond, bird, wild bird, small animal, dog, and cat needs. Walter and Krista Bruce are longtime Grey county residents and owners of the store since 1964. They both share a love for farming and all living things. They currently own 8 dogs and 4 Lamas outside of work. At the age of 18, Walter took over the store from his father. He has always been fascinated by reptiles and has searched for them in many travel destinations including Costa Rica, USA, Mexico, and most of the Caribbean Islands to name a few. His personal favorite would be Chameleons of all species. Throughout most of his childhood, Walter had a house full of pets which included Turtles, Hamsters, Budgies, and many family dogs. The most beloved pet dog was a Dachshund/Beagle mixed breed named ‘Lucky’.

As the reptile world grew and many species of reptiles became more available, Walter’s passion for reptiles continued to grow as evident in the store today. With the reptile community growing across the region, Walter noticed the growing demand for high-end, unique reptiles by hobbyists that only use the best products and the store therefore carries a wide variety of quality dry goods. Gardel Pet Shop is a Zoo Med Preferred Dealer and offers products that cater to all hobbyists, from beginner to expert alike. All the newest Zoo Med products can be seen on display and purchased. A variety of custom terrarium displays can be found throughout the store from desert Excavator Clay Burrowing Substrate to Paludariums to help motivate their clients with their terrariums.

Tropical fish are Walter’s favorite and are also the most challenging and rewarding to work with daily. One major aspect that makes this store unique is that they have invested in the best fixtures for their animals across the store and this leads to healthy, happy pets. Every animal gets the best care from diet to routine maintenance while only using the best products available on the market.

Customer service is the highest priority with each customer, and this has made Walter incredibly popular among his long-term, loyal customers. This is evident through various services like boarding, water testing and animal care advice. Clients can find various sizes of feeder crickets, worms, mice, and rats. Special orders are an option for larger feeder items such as rabbits or chicks to satisfy every animal’s dietary needs. Reptiles, tropical fish, marine fish and corals, small animals, and birds are all available for purchase at Gardel’s Pet Shop. If you are in the Owen Sound area, be sure to visit Walter, Krista, and their wonderful staff and check out their amazing animals and custom-built terrariums.