I wanted to give a shout out to Jenn V. at at the Pets Hotel at this location in La Jolla, CA. I was very hesitant to bring my pup to an overnight stay while vacationing, but upon visiting in-person to discuss a few check-in details, was greeted by Jenn. She is an absolute animal lover, very knowledgeable about the operation, and beyond helpful. She caught an error with my room size booking by the reservationist that I booked through over the phone and immediately rectified it. She walked me through much of the processes, including some visual explanation / tour of the play space and sleeping room. I had random questions about chew toys, as my 5 month pup goes through the toughest bully sticks and toys in 48 hours or less. At $10-15 a chew toy, I don't have that kind of money. Anyway, she had the same issue with her young pup and turned me on to these Himilayan Salt Chew Sticks. I've gone through dozens of toys, treats, chews. Probably 50 different options. Everything gone in 24-48 hours. I'm going on two weeks with this himilayan chew stick and not only does my pup love it, she literally hasn't made a dent in it! This is the answer to all my chewing concerns. It will most likely last a couple of months or year! Anyway, back to Jenn. I ultimately had to cxl the overnight stay for unexpected reasons, but have another vacation planned and will definitely be re-booking with her for my future needs. Highly recommend this location for the Hotel needs! read more

If you have a goto place don't change. If you don't have one you can use these people and be reasonably sure your pet will return in the same shape. However, if you must absolutely have everything happen perfectly; check and recheck your reservation plus any instructions. I go in one week early to review all requirements for the pet stay and confirm my special instructions. They are masters at confusion. Since the staff seems to like the little poop machines in their care, I should probably give more than 3 stars however, the obstacles thrown at the check-in process means they are my backup facility and that is 2 stars. Mike read more

I need to break this out for anyone looking for specific feedback in an area. Store: Great! Typically less expensive than Petco for food. They are usually short staffed at the register, but it doesn't take long Training: OK, Nothing earth shattering taking place, but if you live near the store it is more convenient than driving. But, there are much better trainers available in San Diego for similar or less money-but you have to drive. Grooming: Not good. Something happened when the La Jolla Petsmart came under the management of Petsmart about a year and half ago. The service is TERRIBLE. I am not planning on taking my dogs there again. PetHotel: Again, terrible. I used to be the biggest advocate of this store for their grooming and hotel. Again, new management and the service went down the tubes. There are a bunch of new, young employees that really could care less about making your experience better. I have had to fill out paperwork numerous times because (1) oh, it isn't on file anymore or (2) our policy is to have you fill it out each time (even though that isn't consistent). I have 2 dogs and when I drop them off, my hands are full. They are asking me to fill out paperwork and I have 3 other Petsmart employees staring at me while I am trying to hold onto my dogs and fill out all their paperwork. It would be one thing if they were far cheaper than other places for grooming and overnight stay for me to put up with the bad service, but since they aren't, I am taking my business elsewhere. Suggestion for overnight stay: If you are in the UTC/Sorrento Valley/La Jolla area, check out snug pet resort. read more

I've used this location for pet supplies, grooming, and for boarding my dog. For pet supplies, this place is fine like any other PetSmart. They generally have everything I'm looking for, and the employees are also helpful and can answer whatever questions I may have. The $3 coupons upon completing a survey are always nice to have as well. Grooming and boarding, though, I have an issue. Grooming is usually packed, so as long as you're understanding that they're busy and may not have your dog ready asap, then the groomers here are fine. I boarded him for the first time last week, and since I have had no major problems with grooming before, I asked that he be groomed before I pick him up. The day of the pickup, I wait and wait and wait for the call as they told me they would call me to let me know when he was ready, and they said they would call BY noon. After noon though, I still hadn't heard from them, so I called. It would have been ok if they told me they were swamped, if they need more time, etc. but they said that he's ready to be picked up, so ok, off I go. I went into PetsHotel to pick him up because they said to do it there, but the person at the front desk had no idea he was ready to be picked up, so they had to find him and finally got him from the grooming side. Later, I realized that boarding also forgot to give me back his blanket, so I had to go back for it, and it was still wet because apparently, they had washed it, but didn't dry it. Anyway, when they gave my dog back to me, he looked as if someone brushed him backwards. His fur was so disheveled, and when he was sitting on me in the car, he was shedding like crazy. I don't think he was brushed at all. His fur between his nails were not trimmed well as parts of the fur were still long. It looked like they just rushed it and weren't too careful. I've had him groomed before, and he always comes back smelling fresh, looking sleek and shiny, and overall clean. I got concerned that since it looked like they were rushing, maybe they forgot to express his anal glands as well, and with our dog, he needs to get it done every 4-6 weeks, so we need to be on top of it. I called the grooming department to ask, and got someone to verbally confirm that she did indeed express his glands, and I even had her tell me if they were normal or abnormal. A week later -- today -- we noticed our dog was having problems with his glands, and we could smell it, so we rushed him over to our nearest PetSmart [off Balboa Ave.] and had them express it. The groomer mentioned that the sac was VERY full and that I should have had it done sooner. There was no way our dog could have suddenly had a full sac just one week later. Either the groomer at the La Jolla branch didn't do it or did a bad job. Either way, I am very angry and disappointed with this trip as all this little things I would normally they to be understanding about just added up to one big negative experience. Edit: I got ahold of the store manager who helped to resolve the situation promptly. He followed up with the grooming manager who said that my dog was being used to train a new groomer, and they credited me with a free groom for my next visit. Added another star for the manager resolving the issue quickly. read more

I can't understand how pet stores like this can still be around. Their animals are extremely sick and mistreated. We bought a chinese water dragon from this place. At first we hesitated due to the environment he was in but decided to buy him in order to remove him from his misery and give him a better place. They had him in 1' X 1' box (or smaller) for 6 months before we bought him! But yet they clearly said we need to have at least a 50 gallon terrarium which was about 2' X 4'. We had to take him back a week later for low appetite and eye infection, which we slightly brushed off when we bought him. No one knew anything about reptiles and received different information from every single employee we spoke to about his care. We had to use Google for information. I was convinced to buy a terrarium not meant for water dragons and other accessories which were incompatible with each other. Mealworms and waxworms were half dead most of the time and over-priced. By the way, go to LLL Reptile for everything reptile, better and less-expensive products and awesome customer service. PetSmart is ripping you off. Within the 3 months we had our water dragon we had to take him to the vet 3 times. We changed everything from lighting, heating, humidity, terrarium in order to keep him healthy. As suggested by the vet, we had to force feed the little guy until he passed away 2 weeks ago. Friends warned me about PetSmart in the past, I should have listened. read more

This is a review for the pet hotel: the staff was extremely kind and helpful caring for my pets! My only complaint is that occasionally they didn't answer their phones when I called to check on them. read more

I just got a kitten and I came by to pick up kitty litter and food but the employees here weren't that helpful. They just pointed out the very obvious that's clearly written on the bag. The one plus thing is their huge variety but since it's a huge corporate chain, you kind of expect that. I've been there at least 4-5 times since I got my kitten and all the employees I've spoken to don't seem to have any idea how to take care of a kitten/cat. I don't even think they own pets. Everytime I come here, though, I end up buying something for my kitten and I'm trying not to spoil him but it's so hard when they have a huge variety of treats and toys. I do love coming here to look at all of the little animals and watching the trainers work with the puppies on weekends. They're so cute! There are always several animals running around so you'll find something to play with. They also a have a cat adoption service with adorable cats and kittens that change up every week or so. I miss the independently owned pet shops at home :( read more

I really like this location! The staff are kind and helpful. I took my dog into their grooming salon today for a bath and haircut, and Jennifer was did a great job! She listened to what I wanted, which is surprisingly so rare. When Jennifer was done, Buddy was a cutie patootie! On top of that, the prices are reasonable and I was able to get an appointment same day! Buddy and I are happy and we will be back :) read more

PetSmart - After bath and haircut - Pet Stores Near Me - La Jolla, California

We went to the grooming salon as walk-in, was told the groomer was on lunch break and will be back in 20, asked for my cell phone and other info and said will call me when the groomer's back. One hour later, nobody called, I had to call the store back to check on if the groomer's back. Anyways, we finally got to the grooming center and the groomer checked us in, looking super tired and not interested in doing anything. I asked if we could add a brushing besides the package, she answered"I don't have that time." What pissed me off was after she put their leash on my puppy, I noticed my puppy was really uncomfortable with the leash, then I found out that the lower half of the circle of the leash was stuck in my puppy's mouth! How irresponsible would a groomer be, not paying any attention to a dog and putting a leash into the dogs mouth! I didn't show it on my face that I'm upset because I can tell the groomer is tired and it's my puppy's first experience, I don't want any unpleasant experience to happen to my pup. Yet, when I took my dog home, notice his paw fur wasn't shaved well, ears not cleaned (better than before but definitely could've been cleaner). If the groomer ever told me, because my puppy was a little scared and she didn't want to scare him too much by doing the job completely, it'll be totally understandable and I won't be here writing this review. But, when I picked up my puppy, the groomer only said "he did a good job not reacting to anything", making me feel like my puppy was totally capable for a full service, which was not done the way it should be done. I totally understand it's a busy weekend and I'm just walk-in, but a lot of things could've been done in a much better way. read more

Round of applause to Alex Markivitch (something like that). He tested my tank water, accepted my abandoned fish, and helped me get knew fish; all while holding a good conversation. Super cute too! We talked about our various animals. Can I get his number? He knew a good amount about fish, which was awesome. Um, oh he helped me out while on his lunch break; which is definitely going above and beyond. I really appreciated his assistance and the other employees. Looks like I just found another reason to come back to PetSmart! read more

TRAINING Our dog has gone through Puppy, Intermediate, and Advanced training at this Petsmart. All three levels were with Cameron, who is probably one of the nicest trainers I have met. As far as I know, he doesn't lead classes anymore, but instead does individual training and works at the PetHotel in back of the store. Our dog is now well-trained and remembers all of the tricks that he has learned from Cameron's training classes. Loial (our dog) is just sad that he's not going to classes anymore. Minus one star for when we had a different trainer there (can't remember her name). She never remembered Loial's name - or how to pronounce it when we reminded her. Poor Loial (pronounced Loyal) kept coming away as "Lowell". When the other trainer taught, we never seemed to come away from each class with the same amount of things learned either - they seemed more like "fluff" days. read more

This review is for the grooming services inside PetSmart. & the customer service within the whole store! I have a cockapoo who needs a groom every 3 months or so and since he was getting rather shaggy, I thought I'd try PetSmart since they are so close to me! Melanie was great. She asked me exactly what kind of cut and style I wanted for my dog. She felt around for matts before dropping him off and wanted to gauge what I had in mind. I picked him up about 3 hours later and he looked amazing! He's always pretty nervous to go to the groomer so it amazes me how good of a job they do with him being scared! He looks so fluffy and kind of chunky...but he is the tiniest little thing under all that fluff! As for the employees at the store, they are all very knowledgeable and helpful! They can carry on a conversation and care to know about your dog or cats needs! I've been here probably 10-15 times in the last 2 months! Thanks! We will be back. read more

Oooh I love this pet store. Sometimes I even bring my cat in (in his carrier), and he loves it too! As soon as you walk in, one of the people at the check out counter welcomes you. It's pretty nice. I can only really speak about the selection of cat goods, as I only have one pet (grad school makes me a sad panda). In terms of cat food, they have TONS of selection. We feed Maxie the science diet adult indoor food. Just know that the guidelines for the amount to feed your animals on the package are usually WAY too much to actually feed them. We have a 14 pound cat and we feed him 2/3 cup a day to maintain weight. And some treats (Friskies), of course. A lot of the time, the food is on sale, which is nice. Our cat doesn't like traditional cat toys, but the selection of them is pretty huge. We do buy cat nip here, though. There are always cats for adoption in the cat section. The kiosk is really nice, the cats have enough space, and if they're lucky enough to be in the front window of the kiosk, they have tons of stuff to run and jump around on including a kitty hammock. You can only take the cats out in certain, short times during the week, though. Check the schedule on the door of the kiosk. There is a vet on site. Don't know anything about him, but I do like the mentality of the one stop shop. Doggie day care looks nice, though it'd be nice if they could be outside. Overall, this is my top choice for pet supply stores in the La Jolla area. Haven't ever had a bad experience here. read more

I have since taken my dog to another place and that is why I am updating this review-I probably not bring my dog back to the PetsHotel. Their guidelines on dog's behavior on when they can or cannot do groupplay are unreasonable. I also am no longer a fan of how small their space is for playtime. There are other places in San Diego that have webcams to watch your dogs and also that rank your dogs by level of energy. Other places actually focus on your dogs overall behavior and work on it. Petsmart wants to play you and make you buy training for your dog with their trainers before they can go back to group play which is just ridiculous. Just like kids, dogs have bad days and temper tantrums-they cannot always be perfect. The only thing I like about this place now is the staff-they have always been phenomenal and I do miss seeing them. Banfield is a joke so yes its nice having them close by but I will not take my dog there again (that is a whole other story). I will continue taking my dog to Dr. Boyd's Pet Resort instead. read more

We came in to the grooming department for some Halloween dog paint on our pup. We showed Kaitlyn a picture of what we wanted, a full-body skeleton. It was not in their usual line of halloween services, but Kaitlyn made our dog look awesome! It was just like what we asked for! read more

PetSmart - Pet Stores Near Me - La Jolla, California

Our dog is in love with the trainers, Gina and Joanna!! Once they appear, they drive our dog CRAZY! Her tail whips around and jumps all over the place.... That's how professional these trainers are. We went to the intermediate and advanced training for a total of 2 years, and then passed the CGC (Canine Good Citizen) test no problem!! The pet hotel and day camp are wonderful, and our dog comes back home completely exhausted... And the next day when we drop her off, she glides through the door by herself to go off and play. They give us nice little reviews/report cards at the end of the day, and sometimes coupons. The only concern we have is the cleanliness, because the dogs have to stay indoors all day. The rooms are pretty small and can easily infect other dogs in a group play. We have bought several betta fish there too, and the people there have helped us are very knowledgeable. Although most of the staff are nice, some of them slacked off and were very rude to us in the PetHotel. Other times, the staff gather at the front register and are just relaxing in front of the store as we walk in without greeting us or anything. We had to walk aaaalllll the way to the register to get help and wait until they stopped their chatter. Please fix their attitude, it is highly disturbing. read more

I've always been very careful about who I choose to bath, & cut JJ's hair & nails because there are sooo many places that don't do a good job. I've seen/heard horror stories and seen a lot of dogs that come out of groomers looking terrible. Luckily, I've never had to experience my dog getting hurt like my friends have but JJ & I have had our fair share of bad experiences. So I feel so lucky to have come across Kimberly at this Petsmart grooming location. My dog only goes to see her & he is always spoiled & comes home with a new favorite toy with every visit. I found out that Kimberly actually buys my dog a toy every month that I bring him in, out of her own pocket. JJ just adores her & we trust her with his hair cuts, bath, & nail trimmings. :) She does the best job & he always comes out looking & smelling wonderful. read more

Sarah's gone :( so I'll be looking for a new groomer.. The only up side of Petsmart grooming is their "guarantee" policy-- bring your dog back if you're not happy with the first cut. So after having someone else (instead of Sarah) groom my dog was.. disappointing. His body was left a lot longer than normal (usually he get 1/2" all over, but he came back with his fur about an inch longer than it should have been), ears looked like they hadn't been touched at all and his face barely touched. After taking him back, his body was okay but his face.. I think the disappointment on our faces were pretty apparent because the girl started saying how he wouldn't stay still while she was using the scissors to groom his face (honestly though, would you stay still if someone was holding scissors all up in your face?). The only two times my dog has gotten a bad haircut I've heard this excuse, but whenever we got him back from Sarah, we only heard about how well-behaved he was. Also, while we usually got back a happy dog... this time around my dog seemed very nervous and skittish. The person helping us the second time around for our "re-do" left us unimpressed with her customer skills as well. Definitely won't be going back. The only reason it gets two stars is the guarantee policy.. JUST the guarantee policy. read more

Isaac did a wonderful job showing us around the store to find various aquarium items. He also helped check us out when we were done shopping. It was a great experience and I will be going back. 100% recommend this store for pet needs!! read more

My pup, Christal, would be mad at me right now if she found I gave Petsmart less than 5 stars. This Petsmart is HER store. She knows it inside and out. PARKING/LOCATION: There is a lot of parking in front and around the entire plaza area it's located. Location is far enough from main traffic that it's easy to pull into from the back side roads from Gilman Dr. I usually take that way to avoid the speed bumps in the area. There is a poop station in front of the store, which makes it convenient for dog owners to walk their dogs before or after the visit to the store. EMPLOYEES: Employees are very friendly here. Every time I make a purchase, they always let me snag a couple of treats for Christal from the cash register counter. ;) PETSMART GROOMING: I was so bummed to hear that Christal's regular groomer, Kim, has gone MIA and is no longer working here. She does an excellent job with Christal all the time, even accomodating her immediate medical concern I have with her. I am one of the customers who believes in tipping (especially since Christal needs some extra TLC while being handled by grooming), and so Kim has always bumped me in to her busy grooming appointment schedule. Since she's gone, I have received a great Yelp referral of using Sarah instead, and she did such a good job with her last time. I have yet to see if she'll be consistently as good as Kim was. ;) PETSMART HOTEL/DAY CAMP: Christal used to stay here overnight for several nights at a time when my husband and I took long trips. I always chose the suite for her (never the rooms). The rooms look like they're in a shelter, so I always feel weird thinking I'd leave here there. At least with the suite, there's four walls (to block out the sounds of depressed dogs), a glass door, a TV, a bed, and anything else I wanted to leave her with. . . .I knew she was always in the best care possible, and I could call them anytime I wanted to check up on her. All of the employees there knew her by name, and it's always amusing when she has a grooming appointment and we're both walking toward Grooming, and instead she heads straight for the Hotel (which is just next door). During the holidays when they had Santa photo opps, Christal, my husband, and I decided to come in for a picture. We walked in, and "Santa" said out loud from "his" chair in a high-pitched voice (it was a female employee), "Is that Christal? Hi Christal!" Christal ran and scurried toward Santa. It was the cutest thing. ;) I could even literally let go of her leash when we first enter Petsmart, and KNOW she'll head straight for the Hotel. That's how I know they're treating her really well. :) Since I've switched her to a raw food diet, she's been unable to stay overnight... only during the day. The Hotel refuses to handle raw foods. :( Huge, huge downside. I'm still seeing if I can find alternatives to her diet so she can stay overnight again. PETSMART BANFIELD: Christal's regular vet. She first came here as a puppy when she had giardia and parvo. The vet at the time (Dr. Schlereth), took care of her, and because of him and his generosity, we were able to nurse her back to health. I still have yet to trust the other vets, but I haven't found anything wrong with them yet. Christal is on their Pet Wellness plan, so it doesn't cost us anything for her Comprehensive Exam or dental cleanings. PRODUCTS: Everything is here, except for Christal's "groceries". They try to carry all the high-end natural foods too, but really, they're all commercial brands with corn-fillers, etc. Not good for dogs. I was so appalled with some of the ingredients in some of these dog foods and treats that I've switched her to a raw-food diet completely. We really come here now for their services. And toys. :) read more

This review is mainly for the training classes, but also for the store itself. 5 stars for PetSmart training classes with Gina. We have been taking our rescued puppy to classes with Gina for several months (we did puppy class and now are in intermediate), and we all (myself, my husband, and our pup) absolutely love them! They're fun for us and our pup, and they've really helped us as first-time dog guardians. I can't say enough good things about Gina - she's knowledgeable, patient, super helpful, and funny. Our pup is absolutely in love with her, and she's just great at her job. 4.5 stars for PetSmart as a store. The employees are always super nice, and the store's selection is very good. It's annoying when company reps (like from Blue Buffalo etc.) are trolling the aisles, particularly when we're doing a training exercise for our class, but other than that, this location is pretty great. If you're considering training your dog (or hell even if you're not), go sign up for classes with Gina - everyone in our class adores her, humans and dogs alike. read more

Thank you Leavell for taking care of Leo's first grooming experience! He came out handsome and well groomed.

Can you say garbage? I originally called here to see if they had any beardies. They told me they had a few but they had one special guy who was donated still a baby and super lovable and loved cuddles. I drove to the location and let's talk about the layout for a quick sec you can only enter from one side but they have signs on both sides of the parking lot... so I ran all over trying to find the entrance ended up having to go back to my vehicle and drive all the way around the complex. Anyway, back to the beardie. I asked to see the beardie and NO ONE knew what I was talking about red flag number one. Eventually someone suggested to check the back so I followed a young man to the back of the store where it was so dimly lit. He pointed out a too small tank and said I think this is your little guy. This thing was full sized and miserable when the young man tried to reach to unlatch the lid this big guy started lunging. He was vicious you could tell he was kept under awful conditions. Needless to say I could not rescue that guy. It broke my heart but I don't see it working out with my son or the kids who visit. Eventually the young man showed me the smaller lizards. Full priced fancies. I took a few out and one in particular I really liked though he wasn't the happiest. Now that I've compared my lizard buying experiences this would habe to be the worst one and unfortunately my first one. Even without my second lizard buying experience (see my Petco review miramesa) it would still stand as the worst. The way the young man handled the animals and regarded them was appalling. It's one of the many reasons I've never supported pet stores. Hopefully all of the lizards and reptiles overall were able to find better homes.. especially the mean one kept all the way in the back. read more

I have been taking my fur baby Titus to the Pets Hotel for doggy day camp for almost 2 years, but Friday was his last day and here is why: My dog can be a little energetic and every now and again they give him a time out so they put him in a kennel for "15" min. Well when I was shopping at that shopping center I glanced in the playroom and didn't see my dog, I figured he was in a time out. I went to a couple stores and went back to check about 30 min later and he was still not there. I was irritated because I was told time outs were only 15 minutes, and since my dog is never in a kennel at home I have qualms about him being stuck in a crate longer than necessary. I just felt lied to which is unfortunate because I genuinely liked the staff. read more

Chevys momma This store literally saved my dogs life. We started coming here when she was 6 weeks old fighting parvo. The hospital staff, management literally everyone has been amazing to us. The staff here is like my family. There pets hotel is the best place to bring your pup for the day. Their staff genuinely cares for their customers. I'm so happy that they are redoing their pets hotel facility but we will miss them whiles it's closed. When we move back to Michigan we will be so sad, but so thankful for everything you've done for us. Your store has saved me panic and worry as a pet owner and to know my dog is in the best hands, with a vet steps away. read more

What kind of place claims to have a product in stock but when it comes down to it (after perusing the aisles multiple times and checking in the backs of every shelf) does NOT have it? I needed Oxbow pellets for my chinchillas but I couldn't find it. I asked a sales associate who looked it up in their computer system which said it was in stock, but we BOTH looked and it wasn't there. I don't want shitty pellets filled with unhealthy treats that shorten chinchilla lifespans by half. This is my go to Petsmart unfortunately as I live 2 minutes away. But the first thing I do when I go back to OC is buy the correct pellets so my chinchillas can live long and be happy little fluffballs. read more

I am that kind of person that like going to pet stores and visit cute animals from time to time. Petsmart is always my first choice as it is close to my neighborhood. Not only does it have an adoption center for cats, it also has day camps for dogs! If you are lucky, you will see 10+ dogs lying around inside through the big glass windows in the back of the store =D However, not all the workers are passionate about taking care of the dogs (even though some are). It also has birds, hamsters, reptiles, guinea pigs and a huge variety of fishes as well as pet supplies for customers to choose from. Adopting a cat is not expensive. It normally costs $140 to adopt a new born cat and $80 for an older cat. During promotion periods, there will be a deduction of $40 if you adopt a black cat! How lovely that is! Please consider adopting :) read more

I say three stars is about the number this Petsmart has earned. They really deserve only 2 but I bumped them up an extra star for their groomer service. It isn't easy to find help when you shop here. There's a guy who drifts around, trying to look busy, while avoiding all questions. My sons & I were interested in adopting a kitty here. I wouldn't recommend it. The staff here acted as though they were doing us a giant favor just to let us see the cats. read more

My 18 yr poodle was seen by Dr Havens today. I highly recommend her! She was both professional and sincere. Her heart felt care meant the world to me especially because I almost lost Missy 6 months ago read more

Took both of my 1 Year Old Shih Tzu/Maltese mix Into PetSmart grooming salon today.....When I made my appt i requested that my dogs both be groomed with someone who's experienced because I had a bad experience with a Trainee in Los Angeles in the past Mercedes was the groomer for both of my dogs Today and did a ABSOLUTELY GREAT JOB They both had their Baths, Nails, Anals and Full puppy cuts each and look soooo Cute I timed it so I could drop both dogs off and go to see a movie which AMC is right near them, then did some shopping and had lunch......Made it a Fun Day as well as getting my little ones groomed I had to only wait a little bit afterwards to pick both of them up Thanks Again Mercedes and I"ll certainly be using you as our groomer from now on when I'm down here for the racing season FIVE STARS ALL THE WAY +++++ read more

The Pet Hotel -- My two dogs have stayed here over the past two years without any trouble. They are always treated well and seem very happy when I pick them up. Minus one star because they overfeed my beagle and she ends up running out of food. I talked to them about it a few times but they keep doing it. Not enough to tick me off and they only stay there for 3 days max. Anyhow, I recommend them! I am not hearing or reading anything good about the Groomers. I would avoid them. read more

4 Stars based on the store and dog training. I can't say that I'm familiar with their grooming and/or daycare. So my review is based only my experiences. Store: This is my favorite Petsmart to shop at. Their shelves are always stocked up and organized and I rarely find an item that I'm looking for not in stock. If I do find something I want out of stock they've been very helpful in being able to tell me when the next shipment is coming in. I do usually shop at Petco because it's closer to my house, but if I have time to go to Petsmart I will. I find that the prices are generally cheaper and when buying lots of dog food it can really add up. I've also been able to return products really easily that haven't worked for my dog for store credit and it makes me feel more confident when purchasing items I'm not really familiar with. Training: I did my research on dog training and after determining my budget and what I wanted out of the training I decided to go with the Petsmart in La Jolla. At first I was really interested in taking classes from the San Diego Humane Society because I wanted to support them and their cause, but after signing up for the 6 classes for $69 I found out that your dog only attends 5 out of the 6 classes and one of the main reasons I wanted to enroll my pup in classes is for socialization and I thought that although the price was really good, I wanted more out it and was willing to pay a little bit more. I also looked into Petco since that is closer to my house, but after talking to one of the trainers and hearing them on the phone with an unhappy customer I didn't really want to patronize the location for training. I overheard the trainer at Petco say that she did not have any dogs and on the phone conversation she sounded more annoyed at the customer saying that there were no refunds and that it is up to the customer to be consistent with the training to get results. Now I understand the Petco trainer to a certain degree, that it is up to the dogs' owner to keep up with the training, but I didn't like her tact. I was turned off by the fact that she seemed to not care and that was important to me in my choosing a location for training. At Petsmart I met with Kristine and she had wonderful stories about her 4 dogs and what did and did not work with her dog. Also, I really liked the policy at Petsmart that if you're not satisfied with the training, you are welcome to repeat the class. I know it's not a money back, but at least you get 2 tries out of it if it doesn't work the first time. Also, Petsmart classes are for 8 weeks, an hour each time and your dog gets to go to all the classes. So far we're in week 4 of the beginning class and I already see fantastic results. I'm already thinking about taking their intermediate classes. I know that there are many other locations in San Diego that offer dog training and some are more pricey, but I was very satisfied with my decision to go with Petsmart. read more

No one was on the floor to help me find the dog food I needed, and the apologetic cashier working by herself had a full line, so I left without my dog's food. Went to my car and ordered it from Amazon on my phone. They're delivering it tomorrow. So much easier! read more

I had just moved back to San Diego and was in-between apartments and needed a place for my cat to stay (the place I was currently at didn't allow pets and my was unable to stay where she was being temporarily housed). I had driven by Petsmart a number of times when I lived in SD 2 years ago, so I decided to give them a call. They were SUPER accommodating and let me make a same-day appointment to bring Sally to be boarded. I initially made her reservation for 5 days, but I found a place after two days and they let me pick her up early. The staff was very sweet and put up with me calling twice a day to check on my pet. Before you make an appointment, just be sure to check your animal's vaccination records to confirm they have everything they need to be boarded. I gave them -1 because the girl at the front over-charged me (she corrected it, but still...) I hope I won't need to bring Sally to a kennel again, but I'll be bringing her back here if I do. read more

The store is large and well laid out, and the staff is friendly and helpful. The groomers are pretty good, as far as the chain stores go. I prefer the independent groomers or the ones at some of the independent kennels. My dog is pretty scared of them here, but that is not unheard of. They'll do what you need, but maybe not exactly what you want. The kennel is open longer hours for check-in and check-out than some of the other "pet hotel" style kennels. However, we had problems with them not giving our dog his medication as scheduled. A friend had the same problem, so it isn't a one-time problem. Also, while their glass walls give the owner a sense of comfort knowing they can't hide any improper behavior, it might be more stressful on the dogs who have to watch their owners leave them. Also, the atrium isn't as nice as a big outdoor play yard, like some of the others have. I prefer some of the other kennels in town (Markim, Holiday Inn, Helen Woodward), but this one will do in a pinch and is easier to get reservations for during holidays. read more

Pros: The store is in a better part of town, big and clean. They also offer a wide variety of goods and merchandise. Cons: Service can be hit or miss. read more

FISH I am pretty skeptical about mega pet stores and usually hate going to them just because so many of the animals are kept so poorly and usually the people know nothing about them. However, I recently started a fish tank and went here to check out what they had. I talked to a lady Erica for about 30 minutes, who was quite knowledgeable about fish and very honest with me. She even told me I could get one of their products cheaper somewhere else (but i got it there anyways). They have a decent selection of fish and products to chose from at pretty good prices. The fish are kept in crowded conditions but the staff seems to do there best to take care of them. I would just observe any fish closely before you buy them, but they do have a 14 guarantee on any fish. Unfortunately, their live plant selection is poor and most of the plants are dying, but at least it's not the animals. read more

This review is for Anthony in the grooming salon. He is a true gem. Our senior shih tzu, Rocky, met Anthony last year when Anthony was training to be a groomer. Boy, did we get lucky. Anthony is darling. Super patient. Adorably loving -- and an extremely talented young professional. Of course, we've had nothing but success with Petsmart groomers over the years, but Anthony is simply the best. Thank you, Anthony! Rocky read more

This is actually Banfield inside the PetSmart store at La Jolla. The vet here is by far the worst!! He's arrogant, rude, and doesn't care about your questions or concerns, nor does he care about animals. He's definitely in the wrong business. I was told he owns the Banfield in La Jolla. you would think that he would be much nicer to people and more gentle on animals to keep his business going. What's wrong with this guy? read more

I will never ever come to this PetSmart again. I dropped my husky puppy off for 3 days and when I picked him up today he was covered in urine. I dropped him off freshly bathed and his white fur was yellow and smelled like urine! I feel bad leaving him there. Shame on you PetSmart! If you love your pets keep them away from here read more