When was the last time you went to a REAL pet shop? I'm not talking about Petco. I'm not talking about Pet Supplies Plus, and I'm not talking about PetSmart, and I sure as heck am not talking about the cute little doggy and kitty boutiques that have popped up on every corner in every hip neighborhood in Chicago (and elsewhere). I mean, when was the last time you went to a real pet shop, where you were greeted by the owner with a smile, where you could almost always find what you're looking for, where you could chat with the employees about biological filtration and the effectiveness of Bio-Balls vs. porous ceramic rings? Where, in the summertime, there's always a fan on? Where the bell rings when the door is opened? Where the employees are always wet with aquarium water? And the smell- the aroma of aquarium water and pine bedding, maybe some dry dog food thrown in the mix.
I have noticed that over the last few years, the classic pet store model is a dying breed among the giants and the holistic/organic/fair trade chihuahua boutiques. It seems shops like this are losing popularity as various factors arise- the birth of the Internet, and the appeal of websites such as Ebay, Craigslist, and a barrage of pet supply websites (including PetSmart, etc). People don't want to spend a little extra, but there's one thing they always expect from the little guys- information. They know where the real good information is. And they want it free, so they can go home to their Petco-bought aquarium setup and their puggles they bought on the Internet.
When I was very young, there was no Internet to buy and sell pets and pet supplies, and it seemed there were pet stores all over. There was "Your One Stop Pet Shop" in my neighborhood. That's what it was called. It was a tiny little store. I bought some of my first aquarium stuff there. And I bought my first Solomen Islands ground boa there too. The store was run by a young couple. It was great. Once they knew me, they were cool with me just coming in to look at the fish, unattended. No pressure on their part. That store has been gone for awhile now.
And I remember King Coral, back when it was on Milwaukee Avenue, just northwest of the Portage Theater. I remember the racks and racks of fish aquariums, no substrate, just fish in tanks on wrought-iron racks, wall-to-wall. They had a store iguana in there that would just hang out. He would often be found basking on top of a fluorescent light fixture for the aquariums. Later, they'd switch locations and move to Montrose and Central. The same setup, same awesome variety of fish, same humid fish tank/lemon scent combo aroma. I think they are still open in Mount Prospect somewhere...
And who can forget Animal Kingdom in Logan Square, with its gaudy, outdated hand-painted exterior (with neon!) and its chaotic interior, featuring exotic residents ranging from a jaguar, coyote, spoonbill, ducks, and Moe and Curly, the two red-tailed boas? Though I personally wasn't a huge fan of the place in general (the owners hired anyone who'd work for minimum wage and therefore stuff kinda got out of hand at times), there was a certain appeal the place had. The sounds of scores of birds cheeping/squawking, floors that never stay clean longer than a few hours, people shouting over the sounds of parrots or dogs, and of course, getting to see a real electric eel on display.
Many of these places are gone forever, to be replaced by another Cricket, another currency exchange, another eye doctor. A few places remain. Coral Reef, in Norridge, is still there. Living Sea Aquarium is still in business, as is Bit-O-Tropics (surprisingly). And then of course, there is Ocean Design Aquarium in Dunning Square, where I worked for some years. It was my first job, meant to be a short-lived one (I was supposed to make enough money to buy a drum set and then quit to pursue my rock star dream). I was sixteen, just about to begin my junior year in high school. Soon, I turned seventeen and did buy my drum set. But I liked the job so much I stayed. Besides, I never got THAT good at drumming.
And did I stay. At 18, I graduated high school, and went to college full time at times and part time at others, all the while working at the pet shop. I worked my way to manager and enjoyed my surroundings, and most of the time, the people too. The first few years were some of the best times I have ever had. I spent a lot of time in that shop, and learned a great deal. Mostly, I learned about people. I learned about how to communicate with all kinds of people. I learned to deal with adversity, and to appreciate the bonuses. And, I learned that I really really hated getting electrocuted. But that's another story.
Eventually, I moved on, much later than I had intended, but with a whole bunch of learned lessons and memories to cherish (and some to forget!). Once in a while I think back to those days. I think that I am who I am partly due to my having worked in such a genuine place, a place free of corporate rule and dress code, surrounded by reptiles and reef aquariums. And there was certainly a sense of innocence. And that's how I had always seen small mom & pop pet shops- small businesses run by honest, hard-working people with mouths to feed, all the while enjoying doing what they loved doing, and ultimately having to make big choices once their breed began to phase out in favor of the big box pet shops and the Internet. Most couldn't keep up. Many are still struggling to hang in there, making desperate adjustments and hasty decisions just to make sure they can flip the "closed" sign to "open" the next day.
I don't think the big stores are bad. I do think that people should support the small businesses when they can, because otherwise, it's only a matter of time before small pet shops exist only as "retro novelties". Or worse, become extinct.
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