Katie's Pet Depot — Local services in North Brunswick Township

This place is okay as long nothing goes wrong with the quality of your purchase or even the health of pets sold here (as some other reviews confirm). I have been a loyal customer of Katie’s Pet Depot since it opened many long years ago. I bought dog food, treats, toys, tic collars and even garments there for my Chihuahua (15 years old now) every year. I have one of their loyalty cards. Even when I found better selection or prices elsewhere I preferred to give Pet Depot my business because I believe supporting smaller neighborhood businesses owners oppose to large national retail chains. I will NEVER set my foot again in this store after my most recent experience this past weekend! Less than three months ago my 90 year old mother bought a tic collar for about $60 there as a seasonal gift for our beloved Chihuahua. This tic/flee collar is supposed to be one of the best on the market and it is supposed to be effective for at least eight months. We got this tic collar in previous years and never had a problem. The one we purchased from Pet Depot this year failed to repel tics on multiple occasions. We waited until our dog brought not one, not two but a third tic home just to make sure it was not a fluke. Perhaps we waited too long before the third tic bit me and I had to receive precautionary treatments for lime disease from my doctor. Luckily my blood test came back negative but the bite area is still sore and itchy many weeks later. I stopped by Pet Depot last Friday hoping to simply get another tic collar for my Chihuahua. I suspected this particular tic collar might have been either expired or simply not manufactured up to standard. Both managers on duty would not do a simple exchange like any other reputable store would do including Petsmart. The staff did not even ask to see a receipt, cut me off when I tried to explain the situation, absolutely did not care that I was a loyal customer since this store opened, showed no sympathy that the product I bought at their store failed my pet and actually contributed to a health issue of my own! Not once did I hear “sorry” or any other expression of regret! Both of them simply told me that I had to follow up with the tic collar manufacturer! They refused to stand behind the merchandise they sold me, they refused to take the defective collar back, refused to exchange it for a good one and refused to follow up with the manufacturer on my behalf! Any other decent company that cares about their customers would do all this with no questions asked! Not only Petsmart but Home Depot, Bed & Bath and etc! They simply sent me, my 90 year old mother and my Chihuahua who was also with us last Friday out the door with zero attempt to make things right for us! All we asked for was a replacement collar for the one that doesn’t work! Never again will I set a foot in this place and I already told my friends who also frequented Pet Depot for years because of MY recommendation! Store that doesn’t stand behind what they sell, refuses to execute even a simple exchange and fails to show any sympathy for their customers or pets does not deserve business from anyone!

The two staff people NEVER asked us for our name, they NEVER asked us for a receipt! In fact as I already stated in my review one of the staff people (the younger one) kept cutting me off when I tried to speak! As soon as I told them we would like to exchange the collar they both told us they can NOT do anything and that it is up to us to contact the manufacturer! Now the “owner” claims in her response to my negative review it is doubtful the manufacturer would take back a collar that’s guaranteed to work for up to 8 months after less than 3 months? The “owner” also claims they did not sell one single tic collar in the entire month of April? Really? The owner’s outlandish reply to my review only further erodes Katie’s Pet Depot credibility. Clearly, Katie’s Pet Depot does NOT stand behind every product they sell as they claim, do NOT care about customer loyalty and couldn’t care less about losing a lifelong customer for $60...

Update 3/9/18 Today I had her euthanized. Her likely failed spleen (there was a mass in her swollen abdomen that was not fecal matter and not in the position of other organs - per vet) had given her eye, ear, and upper respiratory infections (not to mention the enlarged spleen). Antibiotics kept the upper respiratory infection in check. As soon as that was kicked, it spread to her eye and ear. She lost her left eye. She was sneezing on the way home. I chocked it up to being disturbed. Or being in the box. Her cagemates with me are both healthy. Neither of those was purchased from this store. She was an amazingly pleasant being despite her deficient genes. She apparently came with a cage mate I never saw that "was sent back because it was small". I believed this because I am that person that thinks the family dog is still living out on that farm. The store is lovely. Stick to packaged goods. Also, in response to the store comment of having the rats for 24hrs this is untrue. I ordered one rat and was told that I would have two to choose from. I said I would likely take both. Before I arrived the "smaller" one was gone, told it was "sent back" (the veterinarians had a look of old yeller being shot when I told them). I ordered them on a friday to be picked up the follwing friday. I was contacted tuesday that they had arrived and either wednesday or thursday that the "small" one was gone. I picked up the other one one friday. They were in possession for, at least 48-72hrs. Again, stick to packaged goods. Perhaps they are referring to having them in their possession before one was "sent back"... after she was euthanized the bill was for her short existence, just in veterinary and medicine was over $440.00. She was an animal in my care and needed services and this is what stores buying from breeders that just multiply garbage gene animals full of genetic disorders. $13 = $440.00. Stick to packaged goods. Original post below... While the store is nice and the employees seemingly caring and knowledgeable, they will lie and they will sell you a sick animal. That animal will cost you a fortune and it will make your other animals sick. Shopping local is great but not when they cut corners on healthy animals. I did contact them about the issue and the woman I spoke with seemed to care less about what was going on with the animal they sold because it was after the two days you have to figure out they don't source their animals correctly. Go somewhere else. It is not worth the trip or the costs after. A $13 Rat should not cost $300.00 at the veterinary hospital two...

I've regularly gone to Katie's since moving into the area a few years ago, as I have cats who are far too squirmy to trim their nails at home. First let me say that the employees here have the magic touch for pet nail trimming -- they've done a magnificent job with both my cats each time I bring one in. Today took it from merely convenient to superlative, though!

The normal groomer was out today but another employee stepped up and did a fantastic job. She was very personable and we got into a good bit of conversation while I picked out a cat toy as a reward. Like a dunce I left my card in the reader -- she ran out after me and managed to return it to me just as I was getting ready to drive away! I'm extremely grateful she decided to get it back to me when she could've just as easily tossed it in a lost & found bin.

The employees here are awesome, caring people who handle pets with true loving care. I cannot recommend Katie's Pet Depot highly enough. To the managers / owners: whatever you're paying your staff right now, they definitely deserve a raise because of how they go...