Mini Critter Reviews

Wide variety of products at this establishment and the pets are great to always view. Staff is great and very helpful

I bought a puppy from minicritters last year in february as with any puppy potty training when its cold is hard but we did it. I love my now year old Japanese chin!! I have gone back several times and I live two hours away!

The GM at this establishment lacks professional responsibility, accountability, and is a complete liar. I was involved with two parties going here to get a potential puppy. He marked the wrong dogs and both parties wanted the same puppy because of his mistake. I tried to make him aware of this by having the two parties double check. He insisted he would never do that and did not double check. When one went to get their puppy, it was indeed clear he had marked the wrong dog and had admitted it to them and profusely apologized. He tried to cover his mistake by apologizing to one party and claiming no mistake was made to the other, even though both parties were in contact with one another and were completely aware of the situation. He got lucky that one party was willing to switch and go with the puppy that was incorrectly Marked for them. When asked to take responsibility and apologize for failing, he refused, was dismissive and condescending, and straight up lied about what happened which I knew as I had spoken to both parties. He claimed both puppies were identical which is a complete fallacy and plainly visible to the human eye. He tried to cover himself and all the information was available to both parties. I will never send another person to this establishment as they lack the professional courtesy to admit fault and mistake and take necessary action to reassure customers further failings won t happen again. Do NOT go here. Ryan Oaks is about profit more than anything and after nearly 35 years of business, my family is washing our hands of Mini Critters and taking our business elsewhere. They may have the same name but in no way is this the same establishment it once was now that he is in charge. Be aware. Do your research on where the puppies come from here. Look at other people s experiences and reviews. I wish I d done more before sending my closest most loved ones here. I trusted that it was the same place as before but I can assure you, it is not.

The owners response to this further proves he got lucky. He did not deny originally marking the wrong dog. One of the parties left a review on how she was treated differently and I can assure that is 100% fact. While he says he knows the puppy the other party went home with is happy, that does not negate the fact that he messed up nor does it distract from the responsibility and fault he must accept for messing up. I will be sharing this experience with them as well and other s experiences to assure they don t make the same mistake as I did in referring people to him. The experiences and reviews of all of us involved except for Mr. Oaks confirm the story we have shared and will point out the holes in his version of events. If anyone wants more details, please feel free to reach out. We, as a community and customers, deserve the truth.

The way this store keeps their reptiles is deplorable. You could count every single rib through their Iguanas' skin, and when my friend questioned them how often they were fed, the worker said that they got crickets once a week. They don't even know that Iguanas are herbivores! They had so many fire bellied newts in a small aquarium that at least 20 had drowned because there were so many on the tiny little turtle island in the tank. They had a dead Crested Gecko in with the Leopard Geckos for days. They keep their snakes in deli cups without enough water. The tortoises were kept together with baby Bearded Dragons. The baby Beardies are obviously underfed because all of them were missing many toes, and one was missing two thirds of its tail.
Until their care for the animals they sell increases, they will not see a dime from me. This store is a freaking joke.

Prices are very reasonable fresh water and salt water. The people are very knowledgeable and courteous. I will be back.

Very professional and knowledgable staff. Best pet store in Sioux Falls. Highly Recommend! A+

the mistreat the dogs and only care about the money. Would not recommend

I bought a puppy from Mini Critters on December 8th. Still waiting for his papers. I have called, emailed and messaged them. Still no response.

I am from out of town. We came to town for the day to do some shopping, and I left my 7 week old puppy there. I was very nervous as she is really young. However, I was very pleased with the whole experience. The staff were very nice and friendly and you could tell they just loved the animals. They played with my puppy while we shopped and she slept the whole ride back to town. I recommend this place to anyone needing a doggy daycare. I will definitely be using them again!

Great little store. Selection if fish has dropped quite a bit. But we still prefer them over other like places in town.

Love going there to see the puppies makes my heart feel good and the staff is super friendly.

Got both are pet rats from here.they are the best place to go and service was great.

Best place to get good info on how to handle, and introduce new pets to your old pets always has a good selection of pet toys and treats and adorable new pets

Was clean and interactive with customers and animals

Their care for all animals they sell is horrendous. My husband and I stopped last night to look at fish and I was horrified by what I saw. Disgusting tanks, overcrowded, no habitat, and so many dead fish they plugged the filter in more than one tank. They get their "designer" puppies from puppy mills and sell them to people who don't know any better. A member of my extended family purchased a 5 week old puppy here last year, not knowing where it came from. They spent hundreds in vet bills trying to get him healthy. In Mini Critters contract they state that they don't guarantee their puppies are free of worms and/or parasites. PLEASE do your research before buying a puppy here or supporting them in any way. I will never buy from them.

Their customer service goes above and beyond. I would recommend them to anyone looking for doggy daycare services.

Friendly and knowledgeable staff. Great place with people that love pets.

This place was given high applause by friends, but it did not live up to the hype.

I was not told the truth after an unfortunate situation occurred. Two potential buyers, one being myself, were looking at two puppies that came in this week. One buyer chose a puppy to put on hold, and I was told the puppy I got to see was available. After I put the puppy on hold to give myself more time to decide, I learned from the other buyer that we had put the same puppy on hold. When I asked about this, both the manager and an employee had assured me that no mistake had been made. I left after saying if the other buyer wants this puppy, that is fine. (Because I wanted to be fair because I knew we had both put the same puppy on hold.) The other buyer came the next day and was not only told of the mistake and profusely apologized to, but also got to decide between both puppies. I was not given this option. Instead, I was left a voicemail by the manager claiming that there was no other person that had put the dark-eyed puppy on hold. Unfortunately for this establishment, I know from the other buyer what happened. I don't understand why I was treated differently. The manager could have apologized and taken accountability, but he chose otherwise.

Thankfully, I was able to get a refund for the deposit I put down from a gentleman employee.

Thank you to the manager of MC for showing me how much you valued my time. The other buyer received better service than I did, and you know why she did. You are who you are.

Thank you for revealing the manner in which you conduct business.

It a great little pet store with boarding and dog training. They are one of the few , if not the only place in Sioux Falls, to offer salt water fish. They also sell pure-bred and designer hybrid puppies from breeders on a limited basis. Staff are friendly and professional. The place is clean and maintained.

Such good help! I really like bringing my Golden in for a nail clip.

So many wrongs with this place...
1)Overheard that clown loaches were thrown in a tank with (too small of tank/too many) eels, simply because they weren't selling. The eels were attacking them, as well as the african dwarf frogs. "Yeah..(fish person) just put them together. They don't belong in the same tank, but yeah."
2) I witnessed puppies with small feet getting their paws stuck in the too big of grates in the 'kennels'.
3) They sell puppies. Reputable breeders DO NOT sell their pups to pet stores, end of discussion on that.
4) They need more blankets in those 'kennels'. It's too damn cold for pups that size to be without them.
5) I watched a bird that appeared to want to jump to the floor, no one was really watching it.
6) Too many oscars to a tank.
7) They have (had?) a beautiful betta in a betta CUBE in the front of the store. Seriously? You guys sell fish, you shouldn't be stupid enough to sell those, let alone put one in it!! Also, pretty sure it was dead. Hard to tell with the water being so disgusted. Who the hell would take any fish care advise you give seriously when you can't even care for the ones in your possession?

Never going back. Dirty tanks, poor puppy conditions, too many fish to some tanks, and species being thrown into tanks that don't belong, simply because they aren't selling.

MiniCritters takes such good care of our furry and feathered family! Great people, and shopping local feels great!

Nice animals and great friendly staff with a lot of verities to choose from

LOVE this place!! Always gets me in trouble...but it's good:-)

Mini-critters doesn't usually have a decent inventory, and it doesn't always look like their animals are well taken care of. Have purchased a couple hamsters from them, they didn't survive very long, and have heard simular stories with kittens, having expensive vet bills, because of illness. The last time I was in there, the animals did look healthier, so maybe they have changed their habits, but I am still holding off buying from them.

i have asked twice to be contacted with more information about the Italian greyhounds mini critters sells, once i even ask a manager. All i want to know is the size height and weight of the parents, and they have never contacted me back! they seemed totally puzzled when i asked for photos or info about the parents, any other pets store I've been too has this info readily available... it shouldn't be that hard! so i assume they are hiding something! my Italian greyhound is of standard size, but the IG that come from Mini critters are like little hulks! way bigger height and weight wise, so i assume they are not pure bred, possible inbreed. i strongly suggest not buying here, as the workers are 16 year old girls who seem to know nothing about dogs! they have a big book of breed they reference for any question asked, and give you a snarky attitude if your don't fawn over their dogs and "great prices"!

We called about a puppy they had, and with us coming in from Illinois, were more than happy to hold her for us. They were easy to deal with, and the locals really seem to like going there for whatever is needed.

I recently went to check out rabbits ( I wanted to check out the selection) they were putting like 5 rabbits in one cage and I researched on them and it said they were supposed to have unlimited hay they had like three strands... One rabbit looked more then parrenoid and was hiding in the corner, but they did have a couple Dutch rabbits that were very friendly to me. Mini critters if your reading this I recommend using Timothy Hay based pellets and just Timothy hay, I also recommend getting you rabbits more room and more friends aka rabbits, to hang out with. Please give your rabbits more attention and don t pick up the rabbits unless it s completely nessisary. And give there water to them in a dish. Btw I m in 5th grade. Please please please research more on the pets your getting there before bringing them into your pet store. And also try to at least clean out the bedding every two days at most.And honestly your prices are not bad. Thank you for the costumer service. Thank you also for letting me know which rabbit is female and male .

Sincerely,
Future Vetrinarian.

Always love going in there and checking out the puppies and other critters! Very friendly staff! Always willing to help. Also I do believe they offer pet grooming

Love mini critters! Charlie got spiffed up at the groomers and boy does he love his new du! While there he also got new bowls for food and water! Thanks Ryan!

I have been a customer of Mini Critters for years. Yes I go to the other pet stores from time to time to see what they have and to check out there prices. I always come back to Mini Critters. Sometimes I have questions about my fish and when I know more than the person working in the fish department I have a problem with that. The "fish guy/people" at Mini Critters always know the answer to my questions and have been a great help. Having a fish aquarium is a very expensive hobby and I know what info I'm told is right. The store it's self is kind of cramped but it had everything you need as a pet owner...

Best place ever. I love it. The people are SO FRIENDLY. Plus very helpful. My dog meiko ( a cacausian ovcharka) is major allergies to things like pork, peas, flaxseed, and much much more. As I was looking for dog food this guy came to help us. We gave him are list and he helped me look for a half of a hour. There is wide verity of animals too. Plenty of supplies too.

My boyfriend and I visited to look into buying a puppy. When we asked to see a pup, the staff seemed annoyed to help us. When we asked about the price, they seemed even more annoyed when we were thrown back by it, as if they knew by looking at us (we were both 18) that we could not afford. We returned a week later ready to buy and picked out our adorable pug Gus. When we were about to check out the manager mumbled to the staff at the front desk "did you mention the price" yet again assuming we could not afford the pup. We noticed right away after taking Gus home that he was sick. After going to the vet the next day, we found he had Pneumonia. Sadly I wasn't surprised considering the disgusting conditions those pups live in! Its as if they just ignore all the poop/pee messes in their kennels!! I would give one star but I have not experienced all their other services.

They have bought live coral, rock and wood from customers that do not want their saltwater tanks anymore. I don't think they actually will buy used tanks though.

I had a great experience today with the young girl that helped me choose a freshwater fish she was very educated in the vast varieties of all the animals and products in the store. :)

The last time I was in there I did see that they were feeding their bearded dragon lettuce which I have been told is extremely unhealthy? But I personally do not own one my sister does.

Absolutely loved the "clean" door - no mention of COVID whatsoever! Staff was very friendly and kind. However, a handful of Betta fish were dead on the shelf, most others seemed fairly inactive. Staff answered all questions regarding Betta fish care, but after doing more research seemed to leave a lot of important information out.

I don't recommend mini critters to anyone, unless you're some sort of stupid and support animal cruelty. Your service is awful as well as your team. And even worse, you guys provide half ass to zero care to your animals and your costumer's animals. Beats me why mini critters is still in business. Shame on you all.

They seem to have a lot of pet supplies are and knowledgeable about them.

It has changed alot since I was last there but they still have reptiles, fish, and all the cute little criters

Ahh yes the place that charges you out the wa zoo for animals they don't check the site for. 2000 Dollars for a beagle when local homegrown breeders that you can actually visit charge 1/4 of that.

Great help from staff. He helped me pick the right fish for my daughter's new tank. Kids took a while and he was very patient and friendly.

I've been taking my dogs to them for grooming for years. They have always been friendly and professional.

Horrible fish environments. Dead fish sucked into the filters where they stay lodged and continue to deteriorate. We also noticed fish attacking the other fish/aquatic life in the tanks because the staff put types of fish together that do not go well or even belong. They bring animals in for show that are not very well taken care of and put them in small cages. The people there really dont seem to know/care on taking care of the animals, and the overall facility is dirty... Would never buy from there and would recommend petsmart over this place any day.

Great staff, Only shop in town that sells rats. They have the largest Super Worms too!

Great pets great prices and wonderful young employees

Bought our blue tounge skink here. Have tried repeatedly to purchase mice from them but keep getting told they will be in on a certain day
Drive all the way to Sioux Falls several times on specific day and they do not have them!!!!!! (5 times in 3 weeks) Want someone who doesn't care about their customers or animals go here.

Went in lookin for big white snakes
maybe a bird that bakes
blue cackatoo named blake
lookin great

Love them critters
drinkin vermouth with bitters
rats with mitters
found a tabby crab

maybe a dragon lizard
turkey with a gizzard
even a beatle in a blizzard
mini critters, you there for me

Dry goods sales area is too crowded, hard to shop. Aquarium area (saltwater) is well cared for and good pricing on coral/fish.

Omg this place needs shut down. They do not take care of their reptiles, small animals or fish! They sale poorly bred puppy mill puppies. Be educated in what you're supporting.
I saw animals that need vet care, and they aren't concerned at all.

Friendly staff and very informative! Plus all of the animals, especially the puppies, are super cute.

This place is improving. I went on a Sunday. A lot of cute bunnies. They have renovated the back of the store where the fishes are, and put reptiles with the fishes.

Everyone is always helpful and the options of product are great

The staff here is well informed. If one employee doesn't have the answer another one is more than happy to help. Large variety of fish and small animals. Only two issues, I would recommend a larger space dedicated to reptiles and I would like a larger variety of enclosures. They can pretty much order anything though so neither of those issues are too big in my opinion.

NOT RECOMMENDED.
Attempted to charge for services that we did not authorize when we boarded our beagle. Also neglected to feed our dog. Mark the general manager said he didnt know why they didnt feed her and didnt know why the bathed and groomed her. TERRIBLE customer service. First the manager snapped and said "we did feed her" I asked what kind of food and why they fed her something different and why the customer service gal told us they forgot. He finally called back said sorry not sure why we didnt feed her and not sure why we groomed and bathed her. What happened to her while she was there? NEGLECT.

I will never go back to minicritters, even as a customer. You guys should NOT be in business until you can SAFELY care for people's pets!
Ryan and Lisa, SHAME ON YOU for providing inferior care and caring more about making money than taking the steps needed to fix the building so it's safe for the dogs.
They also have NO training for the people who are working with your dogs every day, there's NO safety measures in place, NO federally required employee information posted, NO break room, NO material safety data sheets, NO screening for the dogs allowed into "playcare", and they DO NOT follow up to make sure all the animals are up to date on shots.
Ryan also has no problem charging people for services that weren't rendered.

Lastly, while the puppies may not come from a "mill" NO RESPECTED BREEDER sells their pups to a pet store.
They also take in animals from unsanitary/hoarding conditions, sell the ones that are still presentable and use the others for snake food.

After working here for almost two years, please believe me when I say to take your pets elsewhere! There's a reason their boarding and daycare is so cheap - you get what you pay for.

Horrible customer service always nice to see employees standing at the counter talking to there boyfriend's and ignoring the customer. Puppies look horrible and reptiles even worse. Also if I you are looking for boarding please look somewhere else if you actually want your pet to be given what you pay for like extra walks, playtime, even the meds u are charged for cuz I found out that all the extra things that you pay for don't get done and they constantly over book boarding so your dog could be stuck in a wire cage they can barley turn around in for the weekend but they will charge for regular room so u are paying full price for your dog to be in a 48in wire cage I would never bored any of my beloved family pets there ever. And who knows where the puppies for sale come from but they are always sick and they want thousands of dollars for a mix bred dog that can't even be registered. In my opinion no one should buy anything they sell!!!

Nice selection of health pest free coral. And nice displays

Our two dogs enjoy the boarding and doggy daycare Mini Critters offers! I always enjoy that they recognize us when we come in!

They are efficient and easy on the pocketbook. Boarded our German Shepherd pup for the first time and the staff couldn't have been more helpful and considerate...thank you Mini Critters we will be back!

we just bought a dog from you and our main concern was potty training our new puppy in the cold and impending snow... she (mini critters employee) said its easier because they go out and take care of "business" and hurry in. well thats NOT how it works!!!!!!!! our puppy wont even go potty outside because its to cold and now the snow is making it worse. you have incompetent sales people who OBVIOUSLY get perks for selling animals and are after the commission of sale! we WOULD have waited to buy a puppy had we known it was going to ruin our new house and all our brand new flooring!!! and yes we let the little guy outside in a shoveled area every 20 min... its just too cold out and there (mini critters) info was bullshit

This is a rodent mill hamsters are pregnant with nerological issues. Back yard breeding at its finest

The staff are awesome, and the groomers are AMAZING...

Mini-critters is a great place. I just recently had to let go of my rats (that I got at the store almost a year ago) due to some complications with my living situation but they took them in no problems and assured me they would be sold as pets to persuade people from feeding them to snakes. I also got my cockatiel from them and the service was great! I love my bird and she is hand tame and wont truly bite.

Great merchandise. Can move around store easily to shop.

We took our golden retriever puppy to stay for the weekend. When we came back to get him, he didn't have his collar, harness, or leash on. He peed so much in the store it seemed that he hadn't gone to the bathroom for multiple HOURS. They gave us a cheap rope to take him outside while they looked for his leash. We came back in and they told us they couldn't find his leash or harness so "pick out new stuff and we won't charge you." I refused to believe they didn't have his stuff somewhere and sure enough I had them look again and they found it. There was also an extra baggy of food that he should have been fed that morning leftover. He was so hungry when we got home. Extremely disappointed and will NOT be going back. Be careful when you decide to have Mini Critters take care of your pets.

Way cooler Pet shop than the building let's on. I'd 100% recommend shopping there and supporting A Local business with great staff

Wonderful workers who care about the animals and products in their store. Go into the back, there is a free wandering tortoise that likes being pet. Fair prices,

I go in there for Fish. The Staff is Great. Eric in Fish Dept is Extremely Knowledgeable / Respectful and answers all your questions. Anyone looking to start a Tank go talk to this Guy. Thanks

I used the dog wash bay. It was great they provided all the shampoo brush drying products. My dog loved it. Thank you Mini-Critters.

They always have what I need as far as pets go and the "oh now that's cool, I've never seen that before" kind of things too.

Nice warm friendly..But just think they could done a better job..

Went inside and the employees were super nice, everything was clean for animals and they were all super cute.