Business Details
18 Years
experience
Your Trusted Pet Store in Lincolnwood, IL
Founded in 2008, The Animal Store has been Chicagoland's premier destination for exotic pets and premium pet supplies for over 15 years. Our dedicated team of animal care specialists brings decades of combined experience in pet husbandry, nutrition, and habitat maintenance. We pride ourselves on offering an unparalleled selection of rare and domestic animals, including birds, reptiles, small mammals, and aquatic species, all sourced from ethical breeders. Our comprehensive services extend beyond pet sales to include specialized boarding facilities for non-traditional pets, professional aquarium maintenance, and expert nail and wing trimming. With a commitment to customer education, we provide personalized care guidance and host interactive traveling animal shows for educational events.Our state-of-the-art facility in Lincolnwood, IL, features a baby bird nursery with weekly hatchlings and a full-service retail center offering competitive pricing on thousands of pet products. We maintain strict health protocols to ensure all animals receive optimal care and are available 365 days a year for boarding services. Our staff's extensive knowledge and passion for animal welfare have earned us recognition as a trusted alternative to chain pet stores. Through our Jr. Critter Crew educational programs and community outreach initiatives, we foster responsible pet ownership and environmental stewardship.
Services
Pet Boarding
Tank Maintenance
Nail Clipping
Aquarium Setup
Traveling Animal Shows
Details
- Year established: 2008
Highlights and features
- We offer 15+ years of specialized expertise in exotic pet care
- Our staff includes certified animal husbandry specialists
- We provide 365-day boarding for non-traditional pets
- Our baby bird nursery receives weekly hatchlings
- We maintain strict health protocols for all animals
What people say
Super knowledgeable staff
Healthy animals available
Competitive pricing
Excellent boarding service
Rare pet specialists
Services
Pet Boarding
Our secure boarding facility accommodates birds, rabbits, and reptiles in private enclosures. Staff provides daily care and monitoring while maintaining separation from public areas. Reservations recommended for holidays and school breaks. Available year-round with flexible cage options.
Tank Maintenance
Professional aquarium maintenance includes water exchanges, algae removal, filter media replacement, and habitat landscaping. Our technicians service home and office tanks with customized maintenance schedules. We provide equipment upgrades and water quality testing services.
Nail Clipping
Specialized nail trimming for birds, rabbits, ferrets, and guinea pigs. Our trained staff uses proper restraint techniques to ensure safety and comfort. Appointments required with advance scheduling recommended for peak periods.
Aquarium Setup
Complete aquarium installation services for residential and commercial spaces. Includes tank selection, filtration systems, decorative elements, and aquatic life selection. We provide ongoing maintenance plans and water chemistry consultations for optimal ecosystem health.
Traveling Animal Shows
Interactive animal presentations for birthdays, school groups, and community events. Features exotic species education with live demonstrations. Available for private bookings with customizable themes and age-appropriate content for children and adults.
People
Kenn
Owner
Kenn has operated The Animal Store since 2008, building on 20+ years of experience in exotic pet care. He specializes in avian and reptile husbandry, personally overseeing animal health protocols and staff training. His expertise in rare species care has made the store a regional authority on non-traditional pets.
Questions
What exotic pets do you carry?
We offer a rotating selection of exotic birds, reptiles, small mammals, and aquatic species. Check our website for current availability in our baby bird nursery and special arrivals section.
Do you board cats and dogs?
We specialize in boarding non-traditional pets including birds, rabbits, and reptiles. We do not offer boarding services for cats or dogs.
Are your animals bred in-house?
We source from ethical breeders and occasionally offer hatchlings from our own baby bird nursery. All animals come with health guarantees and care instructions.
Do you offer aquarium maintenance?
Yes, our professional technicians provide regular tank maintenance including water changes, cleaning, and equipment servicing for home and office aquariums.
What payment methods do you accept?
We accept major credit cards, debit cards, and cash payments. Payment options may vary for special orders and large purchases.
Can I schedule pet grooming?
We offer nail trimming services for birds, rabbits, and small mammals by appointment. Please call ahead to schedule grooming services.
Reviews (6)
Julio G.
Jun 08, 2022
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These guys at the animal store are so genuine so down to earth and they truly try to help you get what you need. The owner is the best, Claudia and every one there is just awesome. Will be visiting there many more times. Finally a business where I can get all my pets needs all at once
Rocio Ocana
May 29, 2022
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We visited this pet store today and were pleasantly surprised with the large selection of products and pets they have! The store was very clean, animal enclosures were well taken care of, and the staff was friendly and helpful.
Andrew Vankula
May 11, 2022
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This place is just terrible. they do have many good animal supplies but do now take care of them good at all. I saw about 10+ leopard geckos in a ten gallon tank with no food or water poop all over. There's also a bird the make loud noise the full time you're there. I also saw many other animal in bad tanks being miss kept. Buy here if you want other animals to suffer. Workers were nice though!
Jacqy Graf
Apr 23, 2022
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I went in today for my first time because I did not want to go to the big box petshops. I was extremely impressed by how clean all the cages were. I was greeted by super cute ferrets that were super playful and looked very well kept and happy. The birds were singing and were playful and clean. My opinion on what animals should and should not be pets is that of my own. I do not need to come on here and blast someones business just because I do not agree.
I appreciated the knowledge for my daughters new guinea pigs and will for sure be back for more snacks and food for them. One last thing for those saying it was dirty and uncared for.all of the cages were in the process of or just had been cleaned. None of the animals were sitting in filth and surprisingly for the amount of animals it didn't even smell bad. I just wanted to leave a review and thank you for the knowledge on how to bond and try to get our new babies adjusted to their new home (the fact that I did not even buy them there they still helped and went out of their way to talk to me about them!) Thank you!
I appreciated the knowledge for my daughters new guinea pigs and will for sure be back for more snacks and food for them. One last thing for those saying it was dirty and uncared for.all of the cages were in the process of or just had been cleaned. None of the animals were sitting in filth and surprisingly for the amount of animals it didn't even smell bad. I just wanted to leave a review and thank you for the knowledge on how to bond and try to get our new babies adjusted to their new home (the fact that I did not even buy them there they still helped and went out of their way to talk to me about them!) Thank you!
Kevin C.
Apr 01, 2022
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Very disappointed in care for animals to tiny of enclosures for the animals also poor management of fish keeping and knowledge.
Stephanie B.
Mar 24, 2022
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This animal store exploits animals. They have a turtle that should be in a shelter sanctuary and they keep rabbits in boxes and cared for. This is animal abuse please do not shop here it should be shut down I feel sorry for these babies!
