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Petsmart
Category: Pets Pet Stores Pet Stores [Edit]
2221 Oakton St(between Hartrey Ave & Grey Ave)
Evanston, IL 60202
(847) 328-1814
18 reviews for Petsmart
18 reviews in English
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Review from Maria C.
Chicago, IL
12/19/2011 2 Check-ins Here
When I first walked in, my dog was greeted by happy employees. They asked for her name while giving her attention. I asked about their dog training program, and they explained the different options and what would suit my girl better. I quickly found what I was looking for since the store is nicely organized and neat.
My dog got a wonderful toy, treats, vitamins along with a compliment on her booties. I will definitely come back for her needs. I'll keep you posted on the training program once she starts going. -
Review from Doctor D.
Evanston, IL
1/2/2012
I will NEVER take my cat to a Petsmart again. EVER.
They can't even bathe a tiny kitty without knocking out a tooth? Seriously? I can't begin to describe how furious I was when I came back to pick up my cat, only to hear three of these utterly unqualified employees line up like children and recite some rehearsed line about how my cat, who's barely larger than a kitten, got out of control and smashed her own face in the tub. Really? This is your job, you do this professionally, and you got overpowered by a tiny cat?
My poor cat was shaking in her box when I found her. I asked to see where this happened and was immediately told I can't go back there, that nobody can go back there. How convenient. I asked to speak with a manager, who was one more teenager unqualified to be a manager, and who didn't know how to talk confidently or even make sense. So, she called another manager, who just went through the nonsense line about how they "took the necessary precautions," which of course is completely unprovable. They had a vet on site, so I demanded that my cat be examined thoroughly. Of course, it turned out that this vet was in on it, too. They just wanted to avoid a lawsuit, and concerted to dodge all blame and responsibility, claiming that my cat's tooth was about to fall out on its own and that it just happened to do so there -- in the tub. What a crock of sh*t.
But that's what you get from one more big, impersonal business that thinks less in terms of ethics and more in terms of profits and lawsuits. Never again. They lost my business for good. -
Review from Yvonne C.
Chicago, IL
12/10/2011
Really, Petsmart? You send out emails saying that you're having a 15% off everything sale December 8-11, but then when I come in to spend $100 on toys and natural cat litter, you say that I can't use the coupon on my phone, but that I have to actually print it out?
So you make me walk away from the cashier? Duh! Figure it out!
And get some decent dog and cat food in the store. Science Diet and Iams doesn't cut it. Customers want quality organic options in pet food. Most of your pet snacks come from China...rawhide bones, duck breast, chicken breast... Who knows what's in that stuff.
The people who staff that pet hotel they have are not very friendly either. The dogs look nervous and unhappy in that tiny little room.
Get some technology, listen to customers and learn some customer service skills!
I won't be back. -
Review from Sarah V.
Evanston, IL
5/11/2012
Every time I go to this store, I try not to look in the daycare room but invariably I do. I have never seen the dogs look happy. Many times, the staff show no affect whatsoever. It breaks my heart because the dogs often look stressed out and stare out the window like they can't wait to leave. A few times I've seen dogs sitting on the sidelines trembling. It's so important to check out whatever daycare you take your dog to! Go in there or send a friend there more than once and look at the dogs' behavior. Many of them would be better off in the comfort of your home with a walk from a dogwalker or neighbor. I've yet to see more than a small handful looking like they're enjoying themselves. Stress leads to health problems in dogs as well as people!
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Review from Al I.
Chicago, IL
11/20/2011
Just finished our first series of puppy classes here. Our little guy loved the trainer (Tara) and we learned a lot about basic training concepts. Tara did a great job and spent a lot of time with us helping to learn how to redirect our puppy's energy in useful ways.
Our older dog seemed to really like staying at the PetsHotel here, we probably could have left him here for months and he would have loved it. Compare that to boarding him at the vet, which he seems to hate; always stressed out and eager to get the heck out of there after. (Our puppy was very clingy and stressed after boarding at the vet; we will definitely book him into PetsHotel next time.)
I see another comment about staff being surly and if there was anything to that, maybe they've trained the staff a little better since then. Everyone we've talked to here has been very friendly and everybody wants to say hi to our little puppy.
We have been bringing our dogs here for grooming for years, and our experiences have always been positive. There's one groomer in particular (whose name escapes me) who my wife really likes. -
Review from ba r.
Evanston, IL
4/2/2011 4 Check-ins Here
We buy our cat litter and cat food here. It's cheap and they stock our brands. The staff can be a bit surly and inefficient, but they work at Petsmart, so what do I expect? Also, they seem to hire differently-abled folks, which makes me forgive a lot.
My 3-year-old boy loves this place. He's a bit nervous about the (leashed) dogs that roam the store, but he loves to watch the glassed-in exercise room attached to the "dog hotel" which adjoins the store. He likes to watch the dogs defecate, count the feces, speculate as to which dog will eliminate next, discuss the shape and condition of the droppings, and he also enjoys watching the folks who work there scoop up the feces. Also, he likes the dog urine. -
Review from Lynda L.
Chicago, IL
10/15/2011
I only go here now when I REALLY need something and have no other option. I'd always had a pretty "meh" experience until one day when I brought my dog in. He's somewhat nervous, but NEVER dangerous or overly stressed. I'm a dog professional myself, studying dog training, and I KNOW my dog's body language should not have been concerning to anyone who understands dog behavior. I saw a cashier and a "trainer" whispering to each other, looking at us, and then the "trainer" started obviously following us around the store. She asked if we needed help finding anything, I said no, and she just stood there, then followed us more until I just left the store. First of all, PetSmart trainers go through PetSmart training, which is not the same as APDT-recognized training and they are NOT CPDTs. They work on commission (selling you crap). They are not credible and certainly not qualified to "police" the store unnecessarily. The "trainer" in question has shorter dark hair with some kind of unnatural color highlighted into it. Avoid her and this store altogether.
Fit + Frisky downtown is a great local business that has welcomed my dog. If you're willing to travel a bit for good service, try Bark Bark Club, Urbanimal, or Parkview Pet Supply on the north side. There are some other small local businesses that opened up recently in Evanston. Any small business deserves your dollars more than PetSmart. -
Review from Jade T.
10/5/2008
There are several independently-owned pet shops in Evanston that I support, but for basic items like cat litter and the occasional toy, I like to shop here. Cat litter is cheap (but I find Target's prices comparable). If you are looking for a particular product, I recommend calling to check on the inventory (I've been to this Petsmart a few times when they were out of Dr. Elsey's Cat Attract).
If you're looking for healthy holistic pet foods, check out those other pet shops instead. Petsmart carry many brands of generic pet food, which I am NOT a fan of. Even the best food Petsmart sell aren't nearly as great as the "entry level" lines of Wellness, Orijen, INNOVA, or Merrick. I'm slightly biased because I worked at a holistic pet shop. However, after switching my cat to a grain-free diet (Before Grain by Merrick), his health and vitality has improved dramatically. Thus, I'm a major advocate of holistic pet foods.
A negative point: Petsmart sells animals confined in small cages with poor air circulation. If you're going to buy a hamster or python for your child, please do some research and consider adopting such animals (from Craigslist and even Petfinder). It is said that out of 6 small animals purchased from Petsmart, only 1 survives more than six months. This may be an inaccurate statistic, but it's something to consider.
Anyway, this Petsmart is large, clean, organized with several deals, but very few check-out lanes open and children behaving worse than ferrets running about. At least ferrets are way cuter. -
Review from Danielle C.
Chicago, IL
7/29/2007
When I need larger quantities of cat litter, etc.. I head here. It is much cheaper than the specialty stores. I agree with the other reviewers though, too few cashiers.
They have a regular selection of dog toys and treats.
One caution about this store. For some reason, I always run into smaller (7 years and under) children here who are walking dogs... maybe it is my child magnet.. but, my experience has been that many times, these kids do not know how to control their animal on a leash, and I wind up doing the pet owner dance trying to control 2 animals. It always scares me, like a big fight is going to break out with me in the middle...Listed in: ANIMALS!!
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Review from John F.
8/7/2006
I prefer Petsmart to Petco as I find the stores are larger and the prices tend to be cheaper. This location is a very good one, and I prefer it slightly to the one in Village Crossing. It has both a Banfield and a PetsHotel (see my separate review of the latter).
Agree with the other viewers about lack of staff but I have noticed this in other PetSmart stores. I think the chain probably has a low margin and can't or won't hire more people. -
Review from Christine P.
Chicago, IL
10/2/2008
This store has become my mecca almost every weekend. I can feed my zoo of animals, send my puppy and cats to the vet, and purchase Oxbow hay and pellets (usually only available at small pet stores) in one trip.
We're currently sending our husky puppy to training with a very knowledgeable trainer, who has two huskies at home. The staff is intelligent, friendly, and go the extra mile for me and my little ones.Listed in: Best Dog Friendly Spots
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Review from Kristen W.
Chicago, IL
4/19/2006
The best thing I can say about this Petsmart location is that it is usually very clean and well-organized. It is always well-stocked too.
However, the service at check-out is extremely slow. You will typically find only one lane open, with many people waiting and no other help to be found. Sounds to me, from other reviewers, that this is a symptom of a much larger problem.
The PetsHotel at this location is good. At first you think you are annoying him but I think he is actually nice. My puppy did come home with worms after a week at the hotel but she loved it and had a great time. -
Review from Lawrence Y.
Chicago, IL
6/7/2010 10 Check-ins Here
I've virtually gone to all of the local PetSmarts here in Chicagoland, because I too once had a zoo of a home. I've bought various supplies here, mostly dog supplies and aquatic supplies.
More recently, I've been bringing my pup to this location because the other one in Lakeview closed down, and the one near Roscoe Village is just impossible with traffic conditions. Anyway. I enjoy the ease of getting to this place and ample parking.
The last time I went here was about a month ago to get my dog a nail grind & ear cleaning. The groomer guy who took my pup came across as a newbie, which didn't really help when my pup was up on the table. He (my dog) ended up whining and wimpering most of the entire session. The groomer also forgot to clean his ears, until I reminded him. Yeah, thanks.
Regardless of that, I went back in this past weekend and had another groomer. This groomer was a little more attentive with my pup who now has some paw-dicure issues. But it went better then the last time, that's for sure. She even reminded me of the paw-spa package (nail trim, grind & ears) they were having, so it came out even less. -
Review from Rob L.
Chicago, IL
9/19/2010
Happy with the Pet Smart in Evanston. New store, extremely clean, friendlier, knowledgable staff and I watched the staff sit on the floor and play with the dogs in the open room. And personally, I don't want my dog sleeping in a big room with other dogs...I like the fact that Pet Smart has 3x5ish kennels for each dog, and I was allowed to bring her blanket and toy.
I live near the Bark Bark Club, and wanted to like this place as it's a half mile from home. But, I can't. Took my dog there for a "temperment test" prior to planning to board her overnight. I was not impressed at all. I had read these reviews, heard good things about the staff from neighbors, and really wanted to use it. But, nope. For boarding/day care, the door is in the Thorndale alley (yeah, the one next to the el stop where all the shootings have been occurring...). Walking in, smells like urine. The back where they keep the dogs looks like a dumpy room. And the staff...well the ones watching the dogs in the open room acted like prison patrol guards who hate their job. -
Review from Clare L.
Chicago, IL
1/10/2008
This Petsmart does adoptions for the Anti Cruelty society. Anti Cruelty has a policy of not putting animals 'on hold' for people who aren't ready to adopt that day--ie paying the fee, filling out the application. I was ready to adopt an animal there that a prior person--probably a friend of the woman in charge--had expressed interest in. This other person had not completed an application, but I was told I would not be able to adopt the animal until this other person was contacted. I really bonded with this animal--by the way, the staff urged me to play with it and complete an application. Turns out the probable friend of the woman took the animal, and the woman couldn't even bother to call me and let me know, as she had said she would do. If you want a fair shot at an animal, go to Anti Cruelty's main location where people are more professional.
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Review from Jay D.
Evanston, IL
5/14/2008
I'm the first to admit, not everyone needs to buy hay. But my pets eat it, and this Petsmart rarely has 96 oz bags stocked, meaning I have to drive all the way out to the nearest Petsmart, on Touhy, which takes more than a half an hour. If you have a pet that consumes commercially common food, this Petsmart is probably fine, but having to call ahead to make sure the store is properly stocked is a pain in the butt.
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Review from Soo L.
Chicago, IL
2/6/2011
The Gecko I purchased here was healthy but underfed and the crickets are expensive! I went to an independently owned pet store and bought them at 5 cents each instead of a ripoff 11 cents here at Pets Smart.
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Review from Ruth H.
Evanston, IL
9/22/2009
I find this PetSmart under-stocked. I have a difficult time buying Iams cat food here. Everytime I visit, I am told there is a delivery arriving soon.
