Pet Ranch — Local services in Thornton

I don't understand the negative reviews of the Pet Ranch at all. We had a better experience here than we have had with several breeders.

We had put our name in for a specific breed and they called us a few weeks later, the day before the puppies came in. They let us know what time to come and we were so excited! This is a rarer breed that we could not find anywhere else in Colorado! So we went, not knowing what to expect and having read all the reviews.

We were happily surprised! The store is really clean and organized. The staff was very nice and had great knowledge of all the puppies and they have a great supply of products! All the puppies looked very happy. They have a great system of letting you see and spend time with the puppies in a safe environment.

We got to spend a long time with the puppies before we made our decision. When we did, we were given thorough details on the puppy and all the staff were really great and accommodating. They have it setup really well. I was truly impressed. You get all the papers and all of the animals are chipped and vaccinated (if they are old enough.) Also, you get some guarantees as well (parvo, genetics, etc.) which I found to be more than I got with any breeders I bought directly from in the past.

As for cost...I found it very competitive and cheaper than what other unknown online sources were charging. All puppy prices are up right now due to COVID etc., but I did not find Pet Ranch to be above those posted online. I was happy to pay their prices given the current market and to be able to spend time with the puppies first, buy locally, pay with a credit card, get advice and supplies at the same time, and have some kind of guarantee. So much more comforting than trying to do some online deal.

I know how this works. Pet Ranch has a lot of connections with breeders where they source these puppies. I cannot speak to the conditions at each of the breeders (anymore than you can when you buy from anyone,) but I can say that the store is very well managed and the puppies are well cared for. But have you been to many breeders? Most buyers don't know what it takes. It's breeding and birthing puppies. It's a messy business by nature. I agree there is a line that crosses into "deplorable" but all the breeders I know and have seen are typical "animal breeding" types of caregivers and environments. Not deplorable at all, but rural for sure and perhaps offensive to the sensibilities of some. That does not make them inhumane. So I'm cautious to throw around the words or terms associated with a truly inhumane situation and I see no evidence of that here admitting that the store is a step removed of course. I'm all for shelter adoption as well if you are so led. For us, we wanted a specific breed and this was a great experience.

Oh, and I should note, there were specific instructions given to us as well as specific food regarding dehydration and a host of other things. I felt it was quite comprehensive and they answered all the question and more that we had. We can also call them if need be.

So go. You won't be disappointed. You can even just go in and see and pet the puppies for FREE! Hard to resist.

Update - 6 months in and out pup is great. No problems at all and...

(Saturday, February 13, 2021 - between 2-3 pm)

My daughter, her girlfriend, our puppy and I showed up at the store. A girl open the door and said that they were at maximum capacity and had us wait outside, while it was cold. I mentioned that it was cold out, and she was rude and said well I can’t help that. She did not say hi, no greeting, no nothing. She was actually rather rude. Also if there is a capacity for a certain amount of people there should be a sign on the door, which there is not. I also found out from my daughter when they were let in, that they are rude in there and that the building is big enough for myself and my puppy. So we went back to the car to stay warm.

To add to this post. So once my puppy and I were able to enter, someone told me I needed hand sanitizer with no please after. They also said I could have my dog in there, but couldn’t walk down any of the aisles. So I was stuck up front, and couldn’t look around. For being a ‘pet store’ that makes no sense. There were 5 people working, none of them went around to see if anyone needed help. They all hung out at the counter and just watched. A couple of them weren’t wearing their masks correctly either.

While standing at the front, I noticed that cages weren’t clean, it stunk in there, and the puppies were all over priced. The cages were a little smaller than a baby playpen with 2-4 puppies in each. That tells you right there they don’t care. The poor things were cooped up an no one gave them breaks to walk around or got played with.

Once we were done and left, the girls told me that they noticed cages not clean, that it was so bad, the puppies were eating their poop. One puppy was dirty, another puppy was scared of being picked up. They got dirty looks from the associates every time they held a puppy and that the associates were rude to them as well. They also told me that a customer was holding a puppy, asked how much and when she was told $3000, the lady immediately put the puppy back. We also discussed about the advertisement that was posted for the puppies - they had a long list of breeds on the advertisement and that more than half were not even in the store. So that there is false advertisement. The associates had no clue as to what they were doing. They would rather stand up front with their thumbs up their butts, instead of doing their jobs.

So overall, I was so not impressed, items in there are overpriced from what I could see and the puppies are too expensive. One bad experience and I will not be recommending this place to anyone looking for a furry family member. I had better experience at the shelter where I got my puppy. The people were very friendly and helpful and know what...

I wouldn't listen to people that are saying these dogs come from dog mills. That is 100% untrue. Most of these dogs are purebred with AKC papers. Every dog that my family has gotten from them is 100% in health, and we have never had any issues with any of the dogs. I got all AKC paperwork from them as well as AKC themselves, showing all my dogs bloodlines which were surprisingly high quality. My own personal dog is an english bulldog named Sir Winston Chunkhill. I purchases Winston for nearly $3000 which is common for a purebred english bulldog. When we first met Winston at the store he was in with another EB from a different liter. They kept the kennel closed because picking up EB can hurt since they are so chunky. They consider the dogs first, and always have. One of the reasons why they do not allow young children to pick up the dogs, is because a child had dropped one of the puppies and it broke its leg. it's a safety rule, they are trying to keep the puppies safe! If you don't like that, do not go in, and do not take your children if they cannot listen to the rules. Kids are allowed to pet... not pick up. (Good rule). I didn't allow my daughter who is 9 to pick up any of the dogs, she did just fine. As far as the staff, they are constantly watching, which is good because it get's chaotic watching 20+ people picking up dogs. It may seem like they are ignoring you, but they are watching carefully and that is understandable since some of the pups are $2000+. I observed them constantly picking up after the dogs, I didn't see a single dirty kennel in there, nor was there any smells for long because they clean up right away. I noticed that someone said they sit in their own pee and poop... that's untrue, the pee and poop fall through the kennel into a tray... the dogs can't even touch the tray. They care very deeply about the dogs, and that's why I have come to them for all our dogs. I understand adopting/rescue is great I have done that a few times in my life as well... but I wanted a purebred EB and Winston is beyond perfect and HEALTHY. Every time we go to the vet it takes us so long to even get to the counter as EVERYONE has to meet him. He is a therapy dog, so he loves on everyone and vice versa. I wouldn't trade him for the world! So all of you out there saying these are puppy mill dogs... you are incorrect, I have the papers for ALL the dogs we have gotten from here for members of my family.. not a single one of them is. I will be returning in the future to look for another EB for my Winston.