Pet Valu

Only been here a couple times if Im out at my parents with my dog. All their items are reasonably priced and the staff is very friendly. The best feature about this place is the dog baths inside! It eliminates so much hassle to bring your dog in there an they include shampoo, towels and a drying machine for only $ 5 – 10. Very convenient.

We went to get our dog’s vaccines at the VIP vaccine clinic (I do realize they are two separate businesses) today. When we walked in the front door there were carts in the way. The people behind the register area had food and just looked at me and said hi while I had to push the carts out of our way! While waiting in line to register our GSD for the clinic (looked like the cat aisle) there was a box cutter just laying out within my 5 year olds reach! Fortunately he is a smart kid and I am a parent that actually keeps am I eye on my child, so he never actually put his hands on the box cutter. Then moving forward in the line we ran into another cart just sitting in the aisle blocking our way. If there is time for multiple people to just sit behind the counter talking and eating, one of them has time to quickly walk through the VERY small store to make sure it is a safe and clean environment.

I had high hopes for this pet store when they changed locations, but it’s definitely fallen to my #2 choice for pet stores in Reston. The new location is very nice and they have a great selection of stuff. I do like their rewards program of getting $ 10 back for every $ 100 you spend (I think it is?). They also have a program for certain brands of food through which they collect the bar codes on every bag of food you purchase – as long as they are all the same size – and once you purchase a certain number of bags, you get one free.
I’m not sure why, but it seems to take forever for me to reach the $ 10 back reward, and I have actually NEVER gotten a free bag of food. The rewards that I earn at Unleashed by Petco in the Hunters Woods Village Center seem to constantly be coming in in comparison to Pet Valu. Additionally, they do not have their loyalty/​reward program computerized yet, so if you go to a different location, you basically have to start from scratch with your «points» and with the food brand program. Every time I go to the location near my job, they get all confused about my account – EVERY time – and I swear they handle it differently every time I go (sometimes they have called the Reston store and asked them to manually add my points, sometimes they have told me I do have the points at their location, sometimes they tell me to keep my receipt and bring to the Reston store… it’s just a little ridiculous, this is 2014…). Their section for baths costs the same as Unleashed, but – while being much more beautiful (it looks like a human spa) – it is much less efficient: harder for the dogs to get up, easier for them to jump out, they help you less with preparing the bath area and water… etc.
So for a few months I was going back and forth between Unleashed in Hunters Woods and Pet Valu in South Lakes, trying to give each a fair shake. The tipping point for me is the customer service, towards me and towards my dog. Whenever I go into Unleashed, the staff fawn over my dog, ask me questions, are upbeat and friendly and seem to genuinely care about my/​my dog’s experience there. By now they know both of us by name, and they are always quick to offer help, suggestions, deals or discounts for me. They make me feel like I am truly gaining something by being a loyal customer to them. Pet Valu staff on the other hand, mostly seem like a bunch of kids working their summer jobs and watching the clock tick until they can leave. They barely acknowledge me or my dog, and once he had an accident and they acted as if I had brought my child into a clothing store and my child pooped on a pile of clothes or something. They seem far less friendly, far less knowledgeable about their products/​pets in general and just don’t offer the local/​community vibe that I care about and receive at Unleashed. On top of all of that, Unleashed has a way better treat and bone selection and much more useful bathing area.
So, while I would recommend this store over Petco or Petsmart, if you’re in the area and have a choice between the two (they are pretty near each other) I would be willing to bet pretty much hands down you’ll have a better experience at Unleashed!

This Pet Valu changed locations within the South Lakes shopping center. The new space is gorgeous! The store is stocked with a good selection of all-​natural foods and treats for cats and dogs. While they had the usual dog toys, they also carried some unique dog toys too. I bought a neat puzzle toy that my Chessie loves! They have a bathing area for dogs too! The staff is extremely friendly and helpful. They are very knowledgeable of their products. My dog is on the aggressive side and they recommended a dog trainer to try.

Great store. I’ve never had a bad experience here. Everyone is friendly and helpful, and the manager has gone out of his way to order specific items for me and held over sale prices. I can get what I want quickly and easily. I can’t see needing to go to any other pet stores.

It’s nice to have an alternative to big box pet stores right in the neighborhood. Some prices are lower than other pet food stores, some not. They carry high quality dog and cat food, some that can be harder to find — like Weruva for cats — and the staff is very nice. They’ll also special order items for you if you want to be sure they’re not out of something when you need it. 4.5 stars.

Shelves and shelves of pet food… your dogs, cats, birds, fish can eat happily ever after. Toys and some gadgets like retractable leashes are available, but this is a small shop that offers local convenience. It lends itself more to an established pet owner who is filling in, rather than someone just setting up for a pet. It’s clear that the owner is sensitive to the needs of the pet community, offering a bulletin board with names of rescue groups seeking help.

In a pinch, I go here to buy timothy hay for our rabbit and guinea pig. However, they do not carry the food or bedding we use. This store caters mostly to owners of birds, dogs & cats, it seems. Anyway, we go to other stores for our pet supplies but other people do go here.