About
Critter Pet Shop in Allen Park, Michigan is one of those sprawling, densely packed local pet stores that has served the Downriver community since the 1980s. It's a family-owned operation that stocks a staggering variety of animals—freshwater fish, birds, rabbits, ferrets, reptiles, hermit crabs, cats, and more—alongside the food, supplies, tanks, and cages to support them all. Walking in feels like navigating a maze of narrow aisles crammed with inventory from floor to ceiling.
The freshwater fish section draws aquarium hobbyists looking for species like blue acaras, severums, and puffer fish, plus more exotic offerings like vampire crabs. The front portion of the fish department is generally well-maintained, with healthy-looking stock across a range of tanks. Staff members like Matt have earned genuine praise for walking customers through complete aquarium setups from scratch—selecting equipment, explaining cycling, and answering every question along the way.
That hands-on consultation approach is a real draw for newcomers building their first tank in the Allen Park area. The store also caters to exotic pet owners with specialty supplies including hornworms, mealworms, nectar pods, and sugar glider food—items that can be hard to source locally. Owner Mike is frequently mentioned as being approachable and willing to share his knowledge.
That said, Critter Pet Shop is a polarizing place. Multiple reviewers have raised concerns about overcrowded animal enclosures, particularly for small mammals like chinchillas and rabbits, and some fish tanks in the back section have been noted for housing stressed or unhealthy specimens. The store's packed layout—which some find charming in its old-school pet shop chaos—can feel claustrophobic to others.
For freshwater fish keepers in the Downriver area, Critter Pet Shop remains a go-to destination with genuine selection and staff who care about getting customers started right. Just be prepared to inspect livestock carefully and squeeze through those legendary aisles.
What they offer
Livestock, services, water
- Livestock & products
- Services
- ConsultationTank Setup
- Specializes in
Highlights
What makes them special
- Family-owned Allen Park institution operating since the 1980s
- Staff walk customers through complete aquarium setups from scratch
- Wide freshwater fish selection including cichlids like blue acaras and severums
- Stocks hard-to-find exotic pet supplies like hornworms, nectar pods, and sugar glider food
- Massive variety of animals beyond fish—birds, reptiles, rabbits, ferrets, and cats
From keepers
Customer reviews
“had a very disappointing experience with this store. We originally adopted two female guinea pigs for our kids. A few months later, one gave birth, and we realized one of them was actually male. When I informed the owner that this was their mistake, he said he was fine with it and told me, “Mistakes happen.” We ended up with five guinea pigs and didn’t know what to do, so I called the owner. He told me that once the babies were seven weeks old, I could bring them back and donate them, saying this was something he “always does.” We did exactly that and donated the three babies. Later that same day, we discovered the mother was pregnant again. She later gave birth to four more babies. I called the store again and was told—twice—that once they were eight weeks old, the store would take them. I even called ahead to confirm and was told to bring them anytime. When I finally brought them in, the employee refused to take them, claiming one baby was bald—even though hairless guinea pigs can be born naturally and there was nothing wrong with it. He said he wasn’t the owner and couldn’t help. The next day, the owner himself refused to take any of them. The most frustrating part is not the refusal—it’s being repeatedly reassured and given hope, only to be turned away at the end. Because of this, I lost valuable time when I could have been looking for shelters earlier and am now left scrambling to rehome animals that resulted from the store’s original mistake. This experience was misleading, stressful, and completely avoidable with honest communication.”
— Noor1.0a day ago“Awesome place”
— Darren Atiyeh5.0a week ago“Very helpful staff”
— sadra mason4.0a week ago“They got a wide selection from fish to cats bird rabbits turtles u name it they got it can’t wait to get my set up going”
— Roxanne Robert5.0a week ago“Great experience at critters, they helped me start an aquarium from scratch. An employee took me around and helped me with every single thing I needed. Answered all my questions and told me exactly what to do. So impressed with the knowledge and how helpful! Everyone at the store was great but bonus points to employee Matt for all the help!”
— Ava Corns5.02 weeks ago“Most of their fish seem pretty healthy, but overall I would never buy an animal from here. Way too many creatures in each cage, and very minimal enrichment. It's giving vibes from the show Hoarders. It's also suuuper crowded; and I mean the store itself, not the amount of people. It's quite literally a maze of narrow aisles, most of which are overflowing with stuff and everything is way too close together. There should not be multiple adult rabbits in a 3'x2'x1' cage 🤦♀️ Also, side note, but I saw a dead fish on the floor, and a cat that I assume lives there was trying to eat it 🤢”
— Brightolyne Paxton2.02 weeks ago“This place is disgusting. First of all, it's so cram packed in there. It has to be some kind of fire hazard. Two people can't even walk down the same aisle at once. It's insane. Secondly, their non-aquatic animals are kept in horrible conditions. I saw 5 chinchillas in one small cage that's barely big enough for one. None of their animals seemed to have the proper care items in their enclosures. This place is what I imagine a pet store would look like if a bunch of puppy/kitten mills and animal hoarders decided to open up a store. Seems to me that this place has no interest in learning very basic information on how to care for the animals living there. I've only been here once, so I can only imagine the amount of animals that have been in and out of there, or died there. This place was so depressing:(”
— bizzit261.02 weeks ago“Amazing and friendly staff”
— Taylor Nichols5.03 weeks ago“Nice clean pet store with good staff”
— Kimberlee Conley5.04 weeks ago“Worst pet store I've ever seen .”
— Claire Minneboo1.0Edited 4 weeks ago
Reference
Frequently asked questions
Note — Store information and services may change. Always call (313) 383-9460 to confirm current availability, hours, and services before visiting Critter Pet Shop.