Liz’s Pet Shop

Liz and her staff are top notch! A few years ago I had to start feeding my large dog a raw diet due to allergies. Thankfully Liz’s has a great variety of raw dog food brands at the best prices. She also has a generous rewards program and always keeps you informed of any manufacturer rebates or incentives. As someone who has to spend a couple hundred dollars a month on dog food I appreciate everything Liz does to make keeping my dog healthy a bit more affordable.

SIMPLY THE BEST!
My wife & I moved to the West Town neighborhood in Fall 2014 and found Liz’s fairly quickly afterwards, being on the busy corner of Chicago & Western. First off the staff is awesome, that’s basically the best part. With a young yellow lab pup, we wanted to feed and treat her right from the beginning, and Liz’s had great recommendations on healthy food options. After noticing a repeating ear infection over time her first year, we mentioned this to the staff and they had more recommendations on limited ingredient foods. THAT SEEMED TO DO THE TRICK! It was a food allergy. Time and time again, when our other 3-​pound Yorkie mix got sick with gross poops or our Lab had constant coughing, rather than spend $ 50+ to figure out was wrong then another $ 100+ to treat at a vet, why not swing by Liz’s beforehand and see if they have any recommendations on NATURAL remedies?! THEY’VE WORKED EVERY TIME! Wether it’s goats milk, natural formulas, paw protective cream (for those dry cracked Chicago paws), skin hydrogel; Liz’s always have a solution for us! YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR, IT’S 100% WORTH IT! This review concerns DOGS only, as that’s why I go to Liz’s. If you truly care for your PUP like I do, this is the shop for you! PLUS SUPPORTING A LOCAL BUSINESS MEANS YOU’RE SUPPORTING YOUR COMMUNITY TOO!

Liz and her staff are so knowledgeable and worked with me to find a product that fit my needs. I love all of the holistic supplies she carries! I have definitely started giving my cats the unpasteurized goats milk, and they love it. I won’t go anywhere else in the city for my pet food.

Our dog, Lucy has been having some skin issues and someone recommended taking her here. Liz took so much time with us to explain everything and helped us find the right things for Lucy. Super appreciate of her expertise. Highly recommend this place!

The people there couldn’t be nicer. They are genuinely interested in your pet and they are extremely knowledgeable

Liz’s pet store is one of my favorite places to stop for my furry guy’s food. She is very helpful in explaining which food is right and what includes in each food. The prices are reasonable but obviously you can always find a cheaper place.

Everyone working there is so friendly and knowledgeable! They spent a lot of time with me, teaching me about various foods and helping me tackle my dog’s allergies.
They really care about their customers; they guarantee their foods, and encourage you to call in with questions. Also they have a great selection of high quality foods, with quite a few local options.
I used to get my food from a certain giant online retailer, but now I can’t justify anything other than supporting this small local business full of wonderful people.

Liz’s Pet Shop is amazing. She has taught us so much about nutrition for our dogs and our cat. She carries reasonably priced raw products and has a great selection. Her rewards program is insanely good. She is opinionated about nutrition and carries only products she believes in, so I think some people are initially turned off (as I see in reviews below), but I promise, give her another chance because she genuinely cares about animals and getting to the right answer for their health. She remembers our pets, and reminds us to rotate their food and helps us troubleshoot when they have certain digestive issues. I can’t say enough how much we rely on Liz and her staff who are equally as good!

I met Liz and Ruben when they had their first tiny shop over 15 years ago. I started buying most of my pet supplies from them at that time. Over the years they expanded and moved to larger facilities, but continued to maintain what I consider to be the best customer service in the city. They have expanded their inventory in a way that has blown my mind (please note that they are very picky as to what products are carried). They also continue to expand their knowledge and will always share what they consider to be very accurate pet care information. Most importantly, they are the most honest people I know. You will NEVER be taken advantage of in this store. They truly care about people and their pets and will do whatever it takes to satisfy their customers. They are a true Mom and Pop operation and are almost always in the store (unless they are off expanding their knowledge at a show or convention). If they are not there, you will deal with their son Matthew, who is as knowledgeable and honest as they are. I have since moved out of the area, but continue to return to the store for some items and to see the Varelas, whom after so many years I consider to be my friends. Try this store — you won’t regret it.

I am obsessed with this store. If I ever moved out of the neighborhood I would go out of my way to continue shopping for my pup here. The employees are animal encyclopedias; the staff are extremely educated about the varying products they sell and what would be the best fit for your breed of pet. My rescue has been suffering from food allergies for the past year and they have been wonderful in helping us find the best fit for her, even allowing us to return food that she has had adverse reactions too. LOVE.

The brands they carry are great. Awesome selection of high quality food.
My problem is with the customer service I experienced at my last visit that will cause me to not shop there any more.
I was given a Fromm’s frequent buyers envelope from them to track my proof of purchases (in the form of UPCs from the bags I bought) and after collecting 12 UPCs you are supposed to receive a free bag of your most frequently purchased item.
When it came time to collect, the woman who was at the register — who I can only assume is Liz — threw in a couple of arbitrary rules about the program which are not in any of the fine print of the program’s envelope and refused to give me my free bag.
Not to mention they only track your purchases if you have an account there, and I was further screwed by their inept record keeping (my last purchase from them was not correctly put on my account and said that I had purchased a cat carrier… I have a long and tall French Bulldog and have absolutely no use for a damn cat carrier).
Needless to say, I will be contacting Fromm’s directly to be reimbursed for my bag of food, and will make mention to them the practices of this particular retailer. Maybe Fromm’s can show their customer some loyalty, unlike Liz’s Pet Shop.

Stopped in to get some dog food and got an education instead. Had no idea the brand I usually fed my pug also has a grain free option because where I used to purchase it, they don’t offer it. Tony was BEYOND helpful in walking me through the store and explaining my options for both my dog and cat who are seniors and have special dietary needs. I will not only be making all future pet food purchases at Liz’s, with Tony, but am also highly recommending them to anyone who will listen :)

Stopped in on a whim and I’m glad I did! The owners are very nice. They ended up chatting with me and my fiancé about their products, our pets, the nutritional benefits of buying healthier food and their background.
I ended up buying a cat tree for my cat. It’s made from an real tree with a tree trunk and branches! It’s very sturdy, strong and wasn’t that expensive compared to some of the cat trees sold online. I’d highly recommend that people check out this store just for the cat trees!
I’ve returned several times since then and will continue to go back.

I won’t deny that Liz’s shop has a lot of food, very good food, at reasonable prices. What I don’t love and the reason why I’ll give it two stars is the treatment the owner has shown to me the last time two times I was in the store.
My dog got sick from his food, just a very sudden food intolerance. Once I figured out it was the food making him sick, I decided to go there because I could buy a small bag of food and easily switch to another brand if it wasn’t working out. Everything should be okay if they just give me some advice on what the dog should eat.
I get that «OH MY GOD» look when I tell them I was feeding the dog food from Costco. She acts like I was secretly poisoning him. I dunno who she talks to, but that stuff was rated pretty highly. Anyway, I get my first bag of Fromm from her and everything is fine. She tries to talk me into buying her fancy canned pumpkin because apparently the organic kind I bought from the store won’t be as good for my dog… right. Okay. I’ll pass for now, just the food. On my way out, she throws out a rather nasty «I’m so glad you aren’t feeding him that terrible Costco food anymore.» Lady, you’ve got my money … stop with the subtle guilt already.
I go back for a second small bag and this time the pressure is on. She tries to sell me her special pricey canned pumpkin again. I refuse saying he’s already getting organic pumpkin and she goes on about how this one is better because it has electrolytes in it … [blank stare]. She gives me a line about how the canned organic pumpkin I’ve been giving him isn’t made for him the way this fancy dog pumpkin is [blink, blink]. Then she says I should be giving him probiotics. I tell her I already am, and she tries to *shame* me for giving human probiotics. She starts in on how they put sugar in the human ones [yeah, no they don’t] and how it can’t possibly be good for dogs if it’s for humans [you do realize probiotics don’t discriminate, right?]. Then she tries to get me to buy into purchasing more expensive dog food once he’s ready to transition to better food and throws in a spiel on raw goat’s milk. I caved on the goat’s milk. I was planning to put some yogurt in his meals anyway, so this isn’t much different. I tell her this and she mentions that I should never give the dog yogurt because it has sugar in it [ummm, again with this? All dairy products have some natural sugar, even your precious goat’s milk. It is her acting like an authority on dog nutrition that really starts to get under my skin. If you’re going to lecture people on sugar, at least do some freaking research … jeesh.] Another person mentioned her line about open food bags going bad, and I got that line too. At this point, she’s not really crossing any lines, but she is obviously using some high pressure sales tactics.
At the register, I am getting rung up for the milk and food and she has the nerve to say to me «I really wish you were also getting the pumpkin. It’s really best for your dog.» So now it’s an obvious guilt trip …
Aaaannnnddd … I’m out. I won’t go back again. Listen, I love my dog like anyone should love a dog, but I refuse to be given lectures and/​or guilt trips because I’m not spending enough. He’s a dog. He’s happy with a squeaky toy and a belly rub!

before you dismiss my review of liz’s because it isn’t glowing like the rest, please know that i have lived in this zip code for over a decade and absolutely categorically support local businesses, especially the ones on chicago ave between western and california. i fully understand the impact that strong local businesses have on a neighborhood.
everyone has an opinion about how to care for pets – raw food, organic, plain old regular grocery store food – whatever. and they’re just that – opinions. please, if you go to liz’s, (and ultimately i hope you do), bear in mind that the information she disseminates is *her opinion*.
i’ve tried very hard to support her and her store over the years, but i’ve got to say that she’s condescending and employs fear tactics. a recent example:
— i go to store to buy high end dog food, i pick up the larger bag (far better value).
— she asks at register how many dogs i have. when i reply «one», she proceeds to tell me that the food has an expiration date and that my little dog will never get through it fast enough before it spoils.
— i’m skeptical, as i’ve been buying the food for going on 2 years from a different local retailer.
— i tell her that i will figure out a way to keep the other half fresh. she insists this is not possible.
— i insist on buying the larger bag anyway. she proceeds to cross out the UPC code on the bag, somehow referencing that she will not take a return on it.
— she was quick to ask me «what’s more important, saving money or keeping your dog from dying?»
really?!?
i phoned the food manufacturer when i got home. there is no truth to what she told me. none. and in fact, they said that i was the 3^rd phone call from the chicago area that they’d received that week.
is it true that at some point some food probably got spoiled and hurt a dog? absolutely. does it mean that this particular food has an expiration date that will lapse prior to my dog eating all the food? no.
why two stars, then? because i have to hand it to her, she stocks a good variety of food and it appears she genuinely cares about animals. and she’s a local business that has been around a long time. there is something to be said for a retailer who can stick it out in a sometimes questionable area. kudos to her for that.
but really. i’m surprised no one else has written about a similar experience. i’m clearly not the only one who has been through this with her.
in summary: DO YOUR RESEARCH BEFORE YOU GO. yes, you should do this with everything no matter what you’re buying. but so that you don’t get swayed into a tall tale by Liz, make sure you have your facts in line and are comfortable with your choices before you walk in the door. unfortunately, you may have to defend your selections upon checkout.

Let me start off by saying that Unilocal brought me to this place.
The reviews about the personalized recommendations, the attentive customer service, and the fantastic products are all completely accurate.
I stopped in here with the intention of switching my dog’s food (which is already a healthy grain free brand!) to an even healthier grain free brand.
It’s totally true that dog food companies that spend all of their money on marketing and advertisements are the very ones that put the worst ingredients in your dog’s food. Thus, heading to Liz’s, where there are many unheard of brands and small companies that use the best ingredients, is totally a learning experience.
Both Liz and her staff were incredibly knowledgeable and offered many options for food and treats for my dogs. They explained, in detail, ingredients and various products and gave me options to choose from. They were also very conscious of price ranges and budgets.
While I found the loud screeching of the birds for adoption here occasionally distracting, the whole experience was really great.
They were very nice and you can tell that they really care about their customers and their owners ;)

Liz is a life saver! We were referred to Liz by a wonderful sales person from a different pet shop (it shall remain unnamed to protect the salesperson), now that alone told me I needed to go check her store out. Our chihuahua recently had 5 pups and we needed to get milk replacement to help with the feeding. We were told by the sales person aforementioned that fresh goat milk was the way to go and that Liz had it.
While the shop is at the other side of town for us we don’t regret taking the trip. Liz is so knowledgeable and honest and she spent 15 minutes answering all of out questions. She has made a customer for life.

My cats have really changed ever since I’ve changed their food. Love the fact that Liz is so passionate about providing our littlest family members with the healthiest food possible!!!

The staff at Liz’s today helped me select a great replacement for my cat food. The brand I’d been feeding changed their formula and my cat wouldn’t touch it. Randomly remembered that someone had told me about this place and I was in the neighborhood so I stopped by Wednesday, only to find them closed (yeah, should have checked first). So I stop in again today.
Super knowledgeable about the food, the industry in general, and why the shop selected whatever particular brand to carry. When I asked what the best food they recommended was and he said «raw», there were no qualms whatsoever when I said that raw wasn’t an option. Looking for dry food only and they were more than happy to help select one.
He also offered that if my cat didn’t like it or it didn’t work in my auto feeder, they would exchange it with a receipt and help me pick a new one. He even felt up each bag to try and determine what size /​shape the kibble might be, if he couldn’t remember outright, so I could know if it would work well in my feeder or not.
My cat ate the food, vigorously (as opposed to the others I’ve tried in the interim from the big box of smart Pets). It worked wonderfully in the feeder.
Based on my visit today, Liz’s has a new customer for as long as I live, work, or have somewhere to go that makes the shop reasonably easy to get to. My reviews may be few and far between, but the service and knowledge I received today totally warranted me doing a forgotten password reset and logging in to give 5 stars. Excellent service.

Liz rules.
Support her and her independent business, my peeps.