About
Duncan's Pet Shop in Coeur d'Alene is a full-service local pet store that draws loyal customers with its diverse animal selection and staff who genuinely care about helping people make good choices. While it's not exclusively a fish store, its aquatics section earns consistent praise — clean tanks, healthy fish, and a 48-hour warranty on live fish purchases that speaks to their confidence in what they sell. The freshwater selection covers solid community tank staples.
One customer described getting ember tetras and a Chinese pleco for a heavily planted 20-gallon betta community tank, guided by employee Chris who offered specific stocking advice. Bettas, tetras, frogs, and other freshwater species are regularly available, and multiple reviewers noted their fish from Duncan's outlasted anything they'd bought from big-box competitors — in some cases surviving years when chain store fish died within months. Beyond fish, Duncan's is a full menagerie.
Hamsters, rats, snakes, lizards, exotic birds, kittens, ferrets, and even hedgehogs make appearances. The store offers bird wing clipping and boarding services — one customer left their conures for over a week and was impressed with the care. The terrarium accessories reportedly outpace Petco's selection, and the pet food range includes specialty items like raw goat's milk that are hard to source elsewhere in the Coeur d'Alene area.
Staff members like Chris, Teri, and Carly get called out by name for going above and beyond with recommendations and friendly service. The owner is described as a sweetheart who prioritizes customer care. Oscar the shop cat adds personality to the atmosphere.
The store isn't without its rough edges — a few reviewers reported issues with rodent health and one recurring complaint about an unfriendly older employee. But the overwhelming sentiment from hundreds of reviews is that Duncan's is the go-to alternative to corporate pet stores in North Idaho, offering better selection, more personal attention, and animals that arrive home healthy and stay that way.
What they offer
Livestock, services, water
- Livestock & products
- Services
- ConsultationFish Boarding
- Specializes in
Highlights
What makes them special
- 48-hour fish warranty with replacement guarantee
- Knowledgeable staff including Chris who provides specific freshwater stocking advice
- Healthy freshwater fish including bettas, ember tetras, plecos, and frogs
- Bird boarding services and wing clipping available
- Specialty pet food selection including hard-to-find items like raw goat's milk
From keepers
Customer reviews
“We love this pet store! The owners and employees are super knowledgeable and helpful. My kids love the room with the animals. The fish we’ve bought have all been very strong and healthy. Skip the big stores and support this neighborhood gem!”
— Maria Perez5.02 weeks ago“So I guess”
— Hailey H1.02 weeks ago“Very clean cute little shop. Very knowledgeable staff. Big selection of dog food.”
— Linda Lou5.03 weeks ago“Great local pet store. They even carry hedgehogs occasionally! They also offer wing clipping for your birds. Better selection of accessories for terrariums than Petco, and better food options for your birds too! Most of their staff is quite knowledgeable. They also offer boarding services and took great care of our conures while we were out of town for over a week. Highly recommended, and the owner is a sweetheart who goes above and beyond for her customers!”
— Daniel Naulin5.03 weeks ago“The elderly lady was very rude and unprofessional”
— Justyn Bachtel1.03 weeks ago“We love Duncan’s and frequent this store for our pet care supplies. The only downside, and it’s a big one, is that the pet food we purchase 9 times out of 10 is full of bugs and we have to run a few cycles in the freezer before we can use it. It doesn’t matter if we buy bulk or packaged feed, everything has come home with bugs.( Beetles and moth maggots) Really frustrating, I’m always afraid I’ll end up with moths or beetles in my pantry from this store!”
— Korynne Van Riper3.04 weeks ago“I am interested in pet rats and Duncan's has a wonderful selection that is renewed a couple times a week. Wonderful selection of various types of pets and pet food which includes hard to find pet food such as raw goats milk. Take a look, I'm sure there will be something you want!”
— Andrea5.02 months ago“Love this place great pet store”
— Evett Gray5.02 months ago“Well I'd share if I could see their website. Unfortunately, they must only sell to Facebook people, because when I click on their "website" it brings me to log into Facebook. I don't do Facebook anymore after I got hacked back to back. If someone wants to sell to me, they need to be viewable and shopable without signing into social media. It's that simple”
— Carol Harmon “MamaBear” Bowling-Young1.03 months ago“Service was top tier. There’s a young girl there who was so kind to us!! Oscar the cat is the best. Definitely go!!!”
— Nicole Parker5.03 months ago
Reference
Frequently asked questions
Note — Store information and services may change. Always call (208) 667-0618 to confirm current availability, hours, and services before visiting Duncan's Pet Shop.