The Animal Company

This local pet supply company is a true pet owners dream!
The key point is that the owners and employees Love and understand animals, have been doing this a long time and they also like people!
Yes– you can go in and browse, ask questions and even special order things they might not have.
I can get my hound dogs raw meat meals out of their freezer, of course my compostable poo-​bags, tooth paste, furminator and brushes, organic healthy snacks, shampoo… everything I need to keep the hounds healthy and happy.
This is not a trendy boutique with 15 items for sale–
This is a cram-​packed, well ordered pet owners market that has the best prices and the kindest approach to retail you can get!!!
Come shop at a store that makes supporting your local small businesses a no-​brainer, win win win situation.

I’m shocked. We were going on vacation and happy, thrilled to board our bird for the two week duration. Why? Because last year she had a wonderful time! Lots of time outside her cage, as she’s used to and lots of toys in the cage and stimulation. We called this time as we were concerned because we had no time to clip her wings before we left. The girl who answered assured us our baby would be clipped. Instead, she spent two weeks in a cage with one hanging toy and two foot toys. The owner then offered to clip her when we showed up and used the excuse that because she was flighted they couldn’t take her out. But what is the difference of taking her out to clip her when we show up to pick her up?
There is no confusion here. This was not a miscommunication. Bad form, Animal Company. Never again.

Hero at The Animal Company

I just got home from shopping, thankful that our nine-​month-​old Farm Collie puppy had not destroyed anything. I fed him and let him out in the backyard. He started barking so I went out to bring him in when he ran behind a bush and came out choking. I grabbed him opened his mouth but could not see anything, he could breathe but something was obstructed in his mouth. We ran a block down to the pet shop where Carrie had me hold him as she opened his mouth and pulled out a little twig that somehow got stuck. Blue and I are so grateful to Carrie for her quick work to alleviate the problem and of course as we were leaving Blue jumped up and helped himself to a dog treat.
Thank you Carrie you saved the day

Great local shop with personal attention. While TAC does carry high end pet supplies for dogs, cats, etc, this is a great pet shop for birds especially.
Everyone super helpful and friendly. Encouraged and supported many in-​store visits with our new Meyers parrot prior to taking our new baby home in order to promote socialization and ensure a good transition. Super good people you want to support.
They take very good care of their animals and know more about birds than anyone I encountered in seeking our first. They share this knowledge willingly and will get my biz going forward. Thanks guys!

Spent a lot of time here while looking to buy a bird. If you want an exotic or hard to find bird without going directly to a breeder, this is probably the best place to go. I’ve seen several types of Amazons, conures, poicephalus, and even species of finches that I’ve never seen before. For an animal lover like me, that’s really saying something!
The employees are very helpful and definitely care about the birds. If you spend enough time here, you’ll see employees making their rounds to hand feed the baby birds. All of the birds I spent time with know how to step up and genuinely seem to like people. In other pet stores I’ve been to, the birds have seen very afraid of people. All the birds here have toys and a variety of perches in their cages. The place is very clean for having so many birds in it! I see a lot of customers come in to ask advice in regards to behavioral issues or supplies.
They have a pretty large amount of supplies for birds, some for dogs and cats. Not a ton of options for cages, but certainly better than what you’d find at big chain pet stores.
I give this place 4 stars instead of 5 because of some of the things employees have said to me/​others. Things that in my opinion, are very misleading. Calling cages «US made» when I’ve done my research and know for a fact that they are made in China isn’t a good business practice. And where the cage is made matters because of concerns like lead in the paint coating. I observed an employee trying to sell a potential customer on a Rose Breasted Cockatoo by saying that they are «quiet.» Quieter compared to other cockatoos, but nobody could call any cockatoo species quiet by any means! I would hate for a bird to go to an owner that had no idea what they were getting themselves into.
Overall, this place is the best place I went to in my search for a new birdie friend. Should I have the living situation to allow me to have a pet, I won’t hesitate to make this my first stop.

Great Neighborhood Store!
Every time i come in they are friendly and helpful, have a lot of knowledge & experience & will keep coming back.

The Animal Company is an excellent place to buy a bird. I got my conure there and I am very satisfied. They are very knowledgeable and helpful and very patient.

These guys are so incredibly rude. They do not give a crap about patrons. There are even signs behind the desk saying so. The owners never say hello. They barely stop whatever they are doing to dain to look upon you to provide customer service. Smiles don’t exist there. I’ve gotten bids from them and none of them have survived. They say they only get their birds from special known breeders. They take no responsibility about what they sell.
I’ve gone in there several times over the years hoping each time to have a better experience. I tried hopeful and pleasant for the first 5 or 6 times. I run low on bird seed and have to go in. I get frustrated every time with their dismissive rudeness.
Sadly they are one of two options in the city for bird supplies. you can go to these rude guys who have a clean store or you can go to the nice guys who have a filthy store.

I bring my parrotlet here every few months to get groomed. They do an excellent job of taking care of her and I love that they specialize in birds. Bird grooming is pretty cheap here, and they usually wave the fee if you buy something, which I always end up doing since they have a fantastic selection of bird treats and toys.

Extremely helpful and knowledgeable about parakeets. This will be our to go place from now on.

We found this place as we were looking at purchasing a parrot.
When we walked in, they were rather busy, but only after a couple of minutes we were greeted with a welcoming smile. We informed the lady of what type of parrot we were looking for and within minutes we were sitting there picking out the bird we wanted. Granted we’ve done our research over several weeks. Nontheless the staff here is the friendliest people I have ever met at a pet store, as I was waiting for my husband and kids I had an opportunity to watch how they interacted with other customers, everyone who walked on was treated like family!
If I can give the 10 Stars I would!

Just went into visit the birds, bought $ 3.00 worth of treats for my dog and they gave me a gift bag worth much more than I spent. Great little addition to the neighborhood with really friendly staff.

If you have a BIRD PHOBIA, read this!
For all my life I have had a phobia about birds; specifically, the flapping wings. No. it wasn’t from the movie; and no, I was never traumatized by one. My Aunt has the same phobia, so I chalked it up to being one of those weird genetic things. It was so bad, that I almost did not go to Venice on a trip to Italy because of all the pigeons. In fact, the only way I made it through St. Mark’s Square was to close my eyes, plug my ears, and have someone lead me by the arm (slowly) through the mass of birds there. And, I was still nervous!
My partner of over 15 years had two birds, and I never dared to hold them or even TOUCH one of them. I was just too freaked out. Fortunately, they were not free, and stayed in their cages. Then, last November, one of them died (he was a Spectacled Amazon parrot, about 50 years old.). We got a foster cockatiel from Mickaboo to keep the other bird (also a cockatiel) from being so lonely. But they stayed in their cages.
I soon realized that as much as I feared birds, I missed the parrot. I missed the smoochy kisses he would blow every time I walked in the door at the end of a day; I missed his watching crazy antics and goofy behavior.
Enter the Animal Company.
One day while we were visiting the store, Ellen suggested I just try having a bird sit on my arm (I had a coat on), and reassured me he would not fly. With much trepidation, I did — and he didn’t. I was so pleased with myself! It was a huge leap forward to face my fears!
Then she made a brilliant suggestion — why not get a baby parrot? Maybe that would help me get over my phobia (after all, who doesn’t love a baby anything?) So we bought a 5 week-​old Meyers Parrot. He was so tiny, so helpless and cute. He didn’t have wings large enough to flap — and so I held him and became accustomed to the feel of the downy feathers and touched the tiny wings. They told me it was so important to «bond» with him at this time, so I went in 2 — 3 times a week, and pretty soon I couldn’t wait to see and hold him.
Well babies grow, and he did too. Eventually, the little wings began to flap as he developed a sense of balance. I started to freak out at first, then just told myself he was «fanning me». It was only a matter of 2 weeks before he was nestling on my chest, sitting on my shoulder, and happily flapping his wings on my finger. Every one of the staff members in the store knew of my phobia, and calmly and patiently coaxed me through the process.
Thanks to Ellen’s idea, I can now fully enjoy my little baby boy! Will I still freak out if a pigeon dive bombs me? Probably so. But I am SO much better off and better equipped to deal with my fears and I never thought I would see the day when that happened!
Robby is a beautiful, sweet little parrot and a joyful addition to the household!
THANKS to Rick and Ellen for everything they did to make that happen!

Not much has changed since the last time I wrote a review for them, i.e., they’re still awesome. However, seeing the scathing review someone gave them made me want to get on here and reiterate this point. Everyone who works here cares very, very deeply for birds, and not just the ones they sell. We have a derbyan parakeet that we bought from them about 4 years ago, and we routinely bring him in for boarding and grooming (nail trims and wing clips). They’ve never given him anything but the best care, to the point that he actually enjoys going to stay there when we’re out of town. Just a great, great store with very caring, helpful, and nice owners and employees.

Great pet store that specializes in birds. I bought a baby cockatiel from here and he’s very healthy/​happy. They offer ~$ 30 DNA tests for baby birds and ~$ 5 grooming for birds on Sundays/​Mondays. I’ve gotten both services for my cockatiel and can’t complain. The staff is extremely knowledgable and can answer any questions you might have. They do get busy so don’t be afraid to grab a staff member and tell them what you need. Their food and toy selections are also extensive. They also sell dog/​cat food, etc., but its primary focus is on our feathered friends :).

They’re awesome! We have gotten two birds, a hawk head and a meyers, from this store and have been deeply impressed by their care and professionalism in their treatment of the animals. We also have a conjure that we bought at a Cow Palace bird mart, who gives the other end of what d-​bag breeders can do to screw up their animals. (He’s fine now, but took a year to coax out of his depression. Yes, birds can get depressed. Poor guy.) Both birds from the Animal Company were lovingly raised, and we always love to go in when we have a minute to see who is new in the shop and get our dose of bird love, and the proprietors are never chuffed if we don’t buy something (though we usually find something we need). Really, a lovely place.

I used to go to The Animal Company in the ‘80s when it was up on Douglas. Very happy to see it’s going strong, even in a new location. They have always been fabulous with birds and after 20 years, I finally decided it was time to dip a toe in the bird pond again. About two years ago, I found a parakeet in the Tenderloin and he was not tame and obviously lonely. I asked for advice at the Animal Company and walked out with one hand-​tamed parakeet baby and one cheaper parakeet just for fun as companions to the wild one. The birds were and are incredibly healthy. The hand-​tamed parakeet now flies to me when I snap my fingers and he has no fear of hands at all. He has personality, though, so he’s not always at my beck and call, but he’s a great bird!
After a recent break-​up, we decided that my ex would keep the three parakeets and I would get a new hand-​tamed one for myself. The hand-​tamed parakeets are about 3X the cost of the «regular» ones but the time and patience saved is worth it. I have had my new bird just about 2 months and he is completely fear-​free. He loves to follow me around and sits with me all the time. Very healthy and great personality. He’s even started talking a tiny bit.
The woman who helped me choose my bird was so great. She set me up on a chair with a towel and got different birds out for me to hold, including a gorgeous cockatiel baby. ‘tiels are too noisy for my little apartment, but after holding a couple of parakeets, it was obvious which one I should get.
One tip, don’t choose a parakeet or cockatiel for the color, go strictly by personality. As much as I wanted a yellow and blue or aqua bird, I got a standard blue violet and his personality far outweighs the «less interesting» color.
I have ultimate faith in the birds the Animal Co. carries. Healthy, clean, well-​bred, and well-​raised. you will get expert advice to make sure you choose the right bird for you.

I’m sorry but I have to give this place a bad review. I saw the great Unilocal reviews, and thought this is the place I should go buy my cockatoo. Unfortunately, I’ll never know! I showed up just before lunch, and walked into the store. There where two employees all stocking and working behind the counter, none of which even acknowledged I was there. I was the only person in the store! I stood there for about
Five minutes staring at the bird, no one said a word to me or even made eye contact. So, finally I just left. Well I say I left I’m actually in the front writing this review still being ignored. I hate to give people bad reviews but you can’t treat you’re customers that way.

Love this place! Even though I recently moved to San Mateo it’s well worth the drive whenever my birds need to be groomed.
If you have birds you know that they do not really appreciate having their wings clipped and their nails trimmed, but Rick is so good, it takes him under five minutes a bird to get my three guys all clipped and ready to go. In a flash, they are back in their carrier, slightly pissed off, a little ruffled, but none the worse for wear. And at about $ 5 a bird for cockatiels, you can’t ask for a better value.
Rick has also been great at giving me a few tips to address a couple behavior problems (my birds are rescues, they have issues), which I definitely appreciate. They also have a nice selection of bird food and toys, all of my birds’ favorite toys have been from here. They have a knack for knowing what appeals to our feathery friends. Last time I was here we also picked up a toy and some treats for the dog, which were a hit. Granted, this is a bird store, so the selection of non-​bird stuff is not huge, but they have some nice things for furry babies too. I love that everything they stock here seems to have thought behind it. Stuff isn’t just there to fill the shelves, it’s there because they picked it on purpose. You should definitely check this place out.

Brought our mitred conure, Petey, here again yesterday to have his beak done. For some reason, his beak has never grown straight, but it sure grows fast… like a toenail! As such, it needs regular care and maintenance from someone who knows what they are doing.
In my opinion, Rick at the Animal Company is one of the premier people in the bay area who has the experience in properly doing a beak. Many bird/​pet stores will do wings and nails, but are understandably hesitant when it comes to doing beaks. Not only is Rick an expert, but their prices are most reasonable too.
Fast Eddie Felsen in the movie, The Hustler, said that anything can be a beautiful thing when it’s done well. Watching Rick do his beak reminded me of that line from the movie. His technique is so smooth and confident… the obvious result of years of experience. As a result, even the birds look comfortable when he does it. Taking our loved ones there for a beak job means that we can have it done with confidence and no worries.
The Animal Company in their new location is a great pet store in Noe Valley dedicated to birds with a fine staff who all share a common love for our fine feathered friends.