Animates product reviews

Branch: Silverdale, Auckland

Being animal lovers, and having a new puppy to cater for, Animates hass an absolute favorite for us to visit for more reasons than we would have ever thought. Our experiences have always been great and we have also been known to visit on a rainy day to see the "animals" when we were at a loss of ideas to do with our now 3.5 year old.

Animates, regardless of branch or location, has a great and consistent brand and set-up ensuring you can quickly and easily identify what you are needing without having to annoy the already busy staff, in saying that the staff have always been not only friendly but extremely knowledgeable in all aspects of pet care & health.

As an Animates member we get exclusive deals and received 15% off our first purchase meaning we were able to get a full puppy set-up for our gorgeous black lab, Ziva, knowing we had all the basics covered. We visit Animates every 2 weeks to get dog food, as they stock Nutro brand which was our preferred food - its high quality real food specifically designed for our "large breed" pup and she absolutely loves it.

Since becoming a "regular" we have loved seeing Animates make their transitions into other areas of "animal care" with the addition of the self-serve grooming rooms for dogs of all shapes and sizes. This is much like a coin activated car-wash for your pooch and have great facilities, lots of the extras such as towels, water proof aprons and "post wash" scents for your pup - also provides entertainment for the kids watching them try their best to drown their humans.

Finally we love that Animates is finding ways to help the SPCA by adopting out their animals - we have seen so many great SPCA pups find lovely homes through Animates that perhaps would have gone unseen and have now found loving homes through their partnership. WE love Animates and will always be "regulars".

Branch: Palmerston North

Animates is a great store. Although there are not many pets to choose from in this particular store they do have a good variety of smaller fish and some reptiles. I find Animates is the best place to shop for accessories, food and toys - and now stocks Da Bird cat toys! These are the best cat toys I can find for our three Maine Coons.

The staff are always friendly and very helpful - they have guided me through fish purchases to reptile purchases as well as cat and dog purchases. They have a great range of premium pet food and an excellent range for fish keeping. If you're not sure what to buy just ask - they are always happy to help and I find that all the staff are genuinely interested in animals.

When we adpoted our Japanese Spitz x Pomeranian, we didn't realize what we were getting ourselves into with grooming. A double coated dog requires different tools and a different approach to your standard everyday brushing. The team at Animates had the right knowledge to guide us to exactly what we needed! Even made a few suggestions to make things easier.

I highly recommend this store as a pet one stop shop in Palmerston North.

Store: Manukau.

I absolutely love visiting Aimates in Manukau City. I will often just go in for a look with no purchase in mind, because I love to see what animals they have in store. There is such a wide variety in this store, from lizards and frogs, to cats and dogs (could be a new tagline?) The staff are always so friendly, allowing people to walk around and enjoy the animals, which a lot of pet stores seem to discourage these days.
My favourite thing about Animates is that they let people bring their animals ito the store. This makes total sense to me and I don't know why more pet stores don't allow this to happen. I was fortunate enough to go into the Manukau store on 'New Foundland Day' once. About 20 giant New Foundland dogs were instore and all of their owners were keen to show their dogs off, answer questions, and let customers give them a pat.
I have purchased toys for my cats from this store, as well as food and bedding for my rabbits. The prices were quite high, but the merchandise is of excellent quality. My cats still enjoy their monkey with the long tail (chasing stick), and I bought it about three years ago! They even have a loyalty system where you receive rewards and discounts for making more purchases, which can help you save a bit of money if you have a lot of things to buy.
I recommend the Animates stores to anybody with pets. Go on and spoil them with a toy for a treat! Even if you don't have animals, just pop in and see the cute animals on offer. The staff don't seem to mind at all!

Store: Palmerston North

The staff here are always very friendly, happy to help and offer great advice and helpful solutions to any pet problems presented to them.

We have been on the hunt for a decent harness for our medium to large sized dog that will last more than a few months so I went in during the week to see what selection they had, they had a huge range and some really stylish ones too, I still wasn't sure so she suggested I take the dog in so today that is what I did. The staff were great and helped me pick one I liked as well as one that was durable and fitted well. They helped me to put in on our dog and were just really helpful in general.

They don't have a huge selection of animals to pick from, just fish and a rabbit today but they have a huge variety of animal related products available. From pet food, to toys, pet wash, food dishes, animal homes, fish tanks, cages, leashes, cat cages and much much more. Anything you could ever need for a pet could be found here.

There is something in every price range, you wont be disappointed by this store.

Stores: Bridge Street and Te Rapa stores, Hamilton

We regularly visit the two Animates stores in Hamilton. The one on Te Rapa Straight has been there for years and was another pet store before it became an Animates. This is the larger of the two stores and has many more birds available. They have recently closed the outdoor aviaries so don't have chickens anymore.

The Bridge Street store is smaller but newer. Because of this it has a slightly smaller rame on animals and products. We now go to this store more because it is loser to our home. Both stores make a great outing on a wet day with my young kids. The children like looking at all the different animals and the staff are always friendly and helpful.

I have found several dead fish at both stores. This was surprising since the stores had been open a few hours. It is awkward explaining to the children why the fish is lying funny on it's side and puts me off buying any of their fish. I also find that some of their tanks are too high for the children to view.

Part of the purchase price of a kitten or puppy is a donation to the SPCA and I had heard (although I'm unsure) that they source many of them from the SPCA. I appreciate that they are doing this rather than supporting puppy farms. They also have a tree at Christmas with you can purchase cardboard baubles for that goes to charity.

Store: Tauranga - Cameron Road

We bought our daughters first pet from animates. She had desperately been wanting a puppy or a kitten but with her allergies we couldn't get one so decided to buy a rabbit. At the time there weren't many pet stores in Tauranga so we went to Animates. They didn't have many bunnies at the time, they had two and they weren't tiny ones they were already a few months old but my daughter chose the black and white one.

The bunny was very healthy and was in great condition and due to it's floppy ears was soon named floppy. I think it must of been handled a bit in it's time at the pet store as it was already used to being handled which was a good thing as my daughter was able to pick him up and have cuddles. They gave us a box with a carry handle to take him home in so that was good as it closed securely for the car drive home.

While we were there we were able to pick up the food, hay and bedding we needed. They also had hutches although they were pretty pricey and we were able to make our own for a lot cheaper. The food prices were pretty reasonable though.

We have been in lots of times since and it is really cool to go in and look at the animals. They seem to have cute animals each time we go, my daughter loves looking at the puppies. The fish tanks are also fascinating and they sometimes have some cute kittens too. That is about it for the range though oh and mice aswell. Most of the store is pet food and accesories but there is a huge range of those.

Stores: Bridge Street and Te Rapa stores, Hamilton

When you own as many different animals as I do one thing is definite - you spend a lot of time in pet stores! After shopping around, both online and in stores we have found that Animates in Hamilton (both the Bridge Street and the Te Rapa stores) are always our favourite place to shop.
One of the best things about the Animates stores are their loyalty deals on the premium dog and cat foods and the Animates Club. With the dog and cat foods every time you buy ten bags of the same brand and size you get one free. You don't need to keep a tally of how many bags you have bought either - it is all stored on the computer system. The Animates Club is just as easy - spend $300 and get a $10 voucher.
We own the standard dogs and cats but have a few more exotic species (such as chinchillas, parrots and turtles) and Animates stock food, toys, housing and health products for all of them which makes shopping there very convenient.
My only gripe is that some times the place is just so busy that it is hard to find someone to serve you or answer your queries. However when you do get someone's attention I have always been impressed with their customer service and knowledge.
It is a little sad that the Te Rapa store have closed their outdoor aviaries and it seems that they are no longer stocking larger aviary birds at all but I guess that will stop me from more impulse buying!
I love Animates and will be visiting again soon!

Store: Hamilton

We have two Animates stores in Hamilton. One on Te Rapa Road, and another on Bridge Street. Both stores follow the same Animates formula which seems to be so successful, though the newest store on Bridge Street is much smaller in size.

A trip to Animates is always a fun and generally free experience for our family. We can go along, view all sorts of animals - cold water and tropical fish, birds of all kids, rodents - guinea pigs, rabbits, rats and mice as well as cats and dogs.

The animals are generally priced more expensive than other pet stores, especially the cats and dogs (though the axolotls are pricey as well compared to other stores). I do think that if you are prepared to pay, you are probably going to be more committed to your pet. I also love that Animates is now working closely with the SPCA, so that a lot of their cats and dogs are sourced from the SPCA. That means those animals get a better chance at their forever home and you will be donating some money towards the SPCA with your purchase.

The selection of animal food, and treats and toys is amazing at Animates compared to other stores. And the animals always seem clean, and well looked after. The staff are pretty knowledgeable, and the brochures on all the different pets are really handy. I even got good advice on how to clean an old fish tank from a staff member.

Another thing that Animates does fairly regularly is have special animal days, usually fundraising for SPCA. We go along, have pony rides and meet all the exotic animals you dont normally see in a pet store, like Alpacas, Bearded Dragons, pedigree cats and dogs, etc. Its a lot of fun.

All in all, really like Animates and will keep visiting again and again!

Store: Henderson, Auckland

My nearest Animates is in Lincoln Road, Henderson, Auckland. Whenever I have been to the store the animals always look healthy and their cages are clean. The main thing I like about Animates is their adoption policy with cats and dogs it stops impulse buying pets because all owners must go through certain steps to get an animal from there, this is great because only people who truly want a pet will go through the process. A very good store if you're looking for a furry friend.

Store: Palmerston North

I love animates, the staff are so helpful there, I have a couple of very fussy dogs and the staff really went out of their way to help me get a food that was not only good for my dogs but something that they actually like :)

I do find their prices are a bit expensive but you are getting quality from them and expertise which not all pet shops have.

I am always looking at the new puppies, and have noticed more than once a little one have an accident and within minutes the paper has been changed and the cage is clean again, I am very impressed with this, hygiene is very important with these little ones.

One thing that really impressed me is that they offer a full money back guarantee on their pet foods, so if you get one that doesn't suit your pet, they will refund and help you find another one until you find the right food, I really think that is great, very helpful :)

Store: Auckland (un-named)

I am an Auckland Animates user (they used to be Jansens up here) and they are by far the best pet shop around - but be careful, their staff are really pushy and you get pestered by every employee in the building! Unless you really want help tell them to B off and leave you alone or they wont give up. They all seem to be the same - be careful what they offer you too, when buying stuff for my fish tanks they assumed I was a beginner and suggested all these products I knew I didnt need. Dont let that put you off - like I said I reckon they are the best around and the staff know their stuff - just be aware that they are all car salesmen! Hahaha. Their prices are pretty high and rate badly against the other shops I visit sometimes but their sales are usually spectacular - stock up when there is a sale on - never buy full price unless you have to.

Store: Palmerston North

I've been to Animates a few times now and have mixed reviews. They have a great range of tropical fish, which is the only pet I've bought or are likely to. Their tanks are incredibly clean and well labeled. Prices are fine and the staff seem knowledgeable. They have a fantastic range of aquariums, plants and everything else you're likely to need to look after your fish.
Their kittens and puppies always seem incredibly expensive but I think you could be sure of getting a well looked after pet. Their living conditions are top class - very clean and comfy. A friend and I visited the other day in our lunchbreak and were given the opportunity to cuddle a puppy that was the cross between a poodle and something else. I don't like the idea of mating two different breeds to create designer breeds but the puppy was cute. The staff like to have the dogs handled by other people so that they grow up used to being handled. Helps socialise them.
I joined the Animates club a few years ago when they first opened but have never, ever heard from them. They have events from time to time but I only ever find out if I happen to drive past the shop and see the advertising outside - I've never received a newsletter or invitation or anything. So I'm not sure what the membership is all about. When I was in Animates last week it was quiet and the 3 staff were very attentive but I've been in at other times where it was busy and you just couldn't get anyone to serve you. That's always frustrating and at times I've walked out in frustration. We only have 1 other pet shop in Palmerston North so it's good to have some competition. They certainly have some great products, particularly accessories and toys. It's a great way to spend some time.

Store: Palmerston North

Well, it was my son's birthday and his Mum had bought him a fishtank. He wasn't too impressed, so we decided "Maybe we should put in some fish too." Radical, huh.

So, it was off to Animates for a fishing session with a 4 year old. After much debate with the wee lad, and much lively conversation with the very friendly and helpful staff member Nez, we decided on two fish, Spot and Sushi.

While Nez chased the fish around the tank with the net, and eventually cornered, captured and bagged them, the young man and I went for a wander around to check the place out.

We saw it all... the kittens and puppies were adorable, kept in glass-front cubbyholes that would be better called pet apartments. They were spacious, clean smelling and clean looking, furnished with good sturdy beds and playtoys, fresh clean water and well-stock food bowls. They were obviously not stressed in any way and quite happy and carefree. Impressive.

We saw the fish (naturally) and the turtles, and the waterweed tanks were well sorted, giving a clear view of the varieties. The only complaint there was that since the store had only opened a week prior, the stocks were still a little low... a problem the Manager, Daniel, was quick to point out would be resolved shortly. The stock was already in transit and was expected shortly.

The rabbits and other rodents, well, they smell bad anyways, but the cages were arranged in such a way as to minimise the smell without reducing the visibility of the animals. So that earned some seriously good kudos from this reviewer.

The birds were, as all bird cages are, an impressive chaos of noise and colour... exactly right for capturing the attention of the kids and officianados alike.

Accessories... erm, to say there was a comprehensive line is an understatement. And as if that wasn't enough, they have a clearly displayed promise, along the lines of "If we haven't got it, we'll do our best to get it" which I had to admit is a great policy.

Overall, I just had to admit that if I had a place that allowed pets, I would be buying them from Animates. There are plenty of pet shops in town, but none quite compare with Animates for sheer coverage, staff energy and knowledge. Even though they closed at 6pm, I was still able to ring Nez up at 6:15pm and get the full instructions for getting the fishtank ready and the fish into their new home with a minimum of fuss and stress for the fish. She was cheerful, informative and keen to be of help. Great to see.