Pets are valued members of the family who like their people often have particular needs. Though your big chain grocery stores can often provide the basics for your pet, and chain pet stores can provide more specific items and services, nothing quite matches a neighborhood pet supply store. By tailoring their offerings and services to the community they call home, neighborhood stores are able to give you not just what your kind of pet needs, but what your specific pet requires.
Washington Parent has put together a list of our favorite local pet service and supply stores to help readers find the best place to meet all of their pet-related needs in the DMV.
DC
The Big Bad Woof
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The Basics: A multispeciality pet store, offering supplies and services for dogs, cats, reptiles, birds, rodents and even farm animals.
Address: 6960 Maple St. NW, Washington DC
Why it Stands Out: Big Bad Woof is a store that cares. It cares where its ingredients are sourced from, that the labor used to produce its products is justly compensated and that what goes into the food it offers is good for the animals who eat it.
Capital Exotic Fish
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The Basics: One part fish store, one part fish sanctuary, which breeds fish and assists in their care.
Address: 3404 Idaho Ave. NW, Washington, DC
Why it Stands Out: DC’s only family-owned fish store, offering full-service support for new and experienced fish owners alike, with tank cleaning, aquascaping consulting, medical care, free water quality testing and more.
Chien de Luxe
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The Basics: A dog boutique modeled after the kind you might find in Paris, with an emphasis on quality.
Address: 5140 MacArthur Blvd., Washington, DC
Why it Stands Out: Chien de Luxe seeks to provide the quality products and experience of a high-end pet boutique with less of the fuss that such establishments come with, for a cheaper price.
Howl to the Chief
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The Basics: A pet supply store carrying many brands of supplies with an easily searchable-by-brand database.
Address: 719 8th St. SE, Washington, DC
Why it Stands Out: Put simply, there’s never been a dog store that feels more like it could only exist in DC. Put Howl to the Chief anywhere else in the world and it would feel out of place. Going there in DC feels like home.
Maryland
Crunchies
The Basics: A pet food store that focuses on natural foods, vitamins and supplements for dogs and cats.
Address: 2421 Crofton Ln. #11, Crofton, Md.
Why it Stands Out: With an emphasis on natural foods and crafting the best diet for each pet, as well as claiming the largest variety of options for dog or cat food in the area, Crunchies is a great option for pet owners wanting meals that meet their pets’ specific health needs.
Elysiem Salon
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The Basics: A dog salon with two locations, a pet daycare and monthly community pet and owner events.
Address: 4913 Fairmount Ave., Bethesda, Md. and 12500 Park Potomac Ave., Potomac, Md.
Why it Stands Out: Elysiem Salon was founded by U.S. Army veteran, John T. McNeal, and that works its way into their business ethos, providing their services with “expert care, military attention to detail, and a touch of love.”
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A cat named Maylee performs a hands-on live review of some of the store’s cat toys.
The Basics: A pet supply store with necessities and luxuries alike for dogs, cats and small pets.
Address: 10414 Detrick Ave., Ste. 300, Kensington, Md. and 110038 Darnestown Rd., Rockville, Md.
Why it Stands Out: Pets Are Home cares about informing consumers in ways that larger corporate supply stores may not, with an information section on their website dedicated to industry news that might not reach mainstream awareness.
Tropical Lagoon Aquarium
The Basics: A fish store that has been operating for over 50 years, providing fish and all the equipment needed to keep them happy and healthy.
Address: 9431 Georgia Ave., Silver Spring, Md.
Why it Stands Out: Tropical Lagoon Aquarium carries everything from salt water and fresh water fish to fish tanks, corals and aquarium supplies. They get fresh shipments of fish and plants twice a week, guaranteeing customers “a vibrant and varied selection of aquatic life.” The store offers aquarium cleaning, as well as free water tests plus advice from experienced staff on maintaining all kinds of aquariums.
Virginia
Aquatic Paws
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The Basics: An aquatic exercise and hydrotherapy center for dogs.
Address: 2830 B Fallfax Dr., Falls Church, Va. and 4300 Chantilly Shopping Ctr., Ste. 1S, Chantilly, Va.
Why it Stands Out: Aquatic exercise can be a valuable skill for dogs to have for their own safety (and fun!), as well as being a good form of physical therapy for older or injured dogs. Aquatic Paws is the only nearby nonhospital canine hydrotherapy facility we found in our search.
Dog Gone Natural
The Basics: A natural food store with options for cats and dogs alike, despite its name.
Address: 44031 Ashburn Shopping Plaza, Ashburn, Va. and 21 Catoctin Cir. NE, Leesburg, Va.
Why it Stands Out: Viewing a pet’s diet as a key factor in their health, Dog Gone Natural researches and stocks products accordingly. The store also provides a pet health section on its site that answers common, dietary and nondietary health-related questions, as well as having a space for you to ask them a question directly to receive a custom answer about a specific issue.
Dogma Bakery
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The Basics: A bakery and boutique that provides grooming services, luxury goods and fresh baked dog treats.
Address: 2772 S. Arlington Mill Dr., Arlington, Va. and 2509 Franklin Rd., Arlington, Va.
Why it Stands Out: Though you can get dog treats at any number of stores throughout the DMV, fresh-baked ones, including dog birthday cakes if so desired, are much harder to come by.
For Pets’ Sake
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The Basics: A dog, cat and occasional bunny grooming service that’s operated for over four decades.
Address: 1537 N Quaker Ln., Alexandria, Va.
Why it Stands Out: A grooming service that both makes pets look lovely and handles the tricky bits like trimming claws. With help from the pet owner, they can handle even very aggressive pets for whom grooming is difficult, though sometimes the owner may need to get a sedative from their veterinarian first.
Liam McCrickard holds a B.A. in creative and professional writing from Goucher College. He is assistant editor at Washington Parent. He also works as a freelance designer, writer and editor of tabletop role-playing games.
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Liam McCrickard holds a B.A. in creative and professional writing from Goucher College. He is former assistant editor at Washington Parent. He works as a freelance designer, writer and editor of tabletop role-playing games.
Liam McCrickard holds a B.A. in creative and professional writing from Goucher College. He is former assistant editor at Washington Parent. He works as a freelance designer, writer and editor of tabletop role-playing games.
