Whitie's Pets: Fresno's Legendary Pet Superstore for All Your Animal Needs

Whitie's Pets Introduce

Introduction / Overview

For generations of Californians in Fresno and across the Central Valley, Whitie's Pets has stood as an iconic and indispensable resource for all things animal-related. Far from a typical chain pet store, Whitie's Pets is a true local institution with a rich history dating back to 1943. It began as a small shop and has evolved into "The Valley's biggest pet superstore," now spanning an impressive 28,000 square feet. This multi-generational, family-owned business prides itself on offering a vast and diverse selection of animals, products, and services, catering to nearly every type of household pet imaginable, from loyal dogs and playful cats to vibrant fish, exotic reptiles, and melodious birds.

What truly sets Whitie's Pets apart is its unwavering commitment to its founding philosophy: making customers feel welcome, keeping up with product innovations, offering fair prices, and delivering efficient, knowledgeable, and friendly service. This dedication to customer satisfaction and animal well-being is evident in the passion of its employees, many of whom have been with the store for years, accumulating invaluable experience. Whitie's Pets isn't just a place to buy pet supplies; it's a community hub where pet owners can find expert advice, discover new products, and even connect with adoptable animals, embodying a deep-rooted love for pets that has endured for over 75 years.

Location and Accessibility

Whitie's Pets is conveniently located at 5215 N Blackstone Ave, Fresno, CA 93710, USA. This prominent address places it strategically on the west side of Blackstone Avenue, a major commercial corridor in North Fresno. Its position between Shaw Avenue and Barstow Avenue makes it exceptionally accessible for residents throughout Fresno and the broader Central Valley region of California.

Blackstone Avenue is a vital artery for local traffic, ensuring that reaching Whitie's Pets is straightforward whether you are coming from nearby neighborhoods or traveling from other parts of Fresno and beyond. The store's substantial size and established presence make it a recognizable landmark. Ample parking is typically available in the surrounding area, facilitating a stress-free shopping experience. For Californians outside of Fresno, the city's location within the Central Valley, with easy connections to major highways like CA-99 and CA-41, means that Whitie's Pets is a manageable drive for those seeking its extensive selection and renowned service. Its central and accessible location solidifies its role as a premier destination for pet owners across the region.

Services Offered

Extensive Dog Product Selection: Offering a comprehensive range of dog food (wet, dry, prescription), treats (soft, chewy, jerky), toys (rawhide, plush, fetch), flea & tick treatments, feeders, bowls, bedding, crates, and kennels.
Comprehensive Cat Product Selection: Providing a wide array of cat food (gourmet, holistic, pate), treats, and various cat-specific supplies.
Diverse Aquatic Selection: Housing a wide variety of fish for freshwater and saltwater aquariums, along with tanks, substrates, filters, lights, and decor.
Bird Sales and Supplies: Offering a wide selection of birds (including parakeets) and all necessary avian supplies, cages, and food.
Reptile Sales and Supplies: Providing a variety of reptiles and all accompanying terrarium setups, heating, lighting, and food.
Small Animal Sales and Supplies: Offering hamsters, rabbits, and other small animals, along with cages, tubes, feeders, water bottles, and bedding.
Pet Consultations: Staff available to answer questions and provide advice on pet care, nutrition, and specific animal needs.
Special Pet Orders: Ability to assist customers with special requests for specific animals or products.
Offsite Adoption Program: Partnering with organizations like the Central California SPCA (CCSPCA) for weekly Saturday adoption events at the store, facilitating adoptions for dogs and cats.
Veterinary Clinic (On Premise/Low Cost): According to older data, they have offered a low-cost veterinary clinic on premise, indicating a holistic approach to pet care. (It's always recommended to verify current clinic operations directly with the store).

Features / Highlights

Generational Family Ownership: Established in 1943 by the Whiting family, and later acquired by the Shafer family, with multiple generations currently working, ensuring a consistent philosophy and deep community roots.
"The Valley's Biggest Pet Superstore": With an impressive 28,000 square feet of retail space, offering an unparalleled selection of animals and products.
Wide Selection of Animals: Housing a vast array of pets, including dogs, cats (through adoptions), fish, birds, reptiles, and small animals.
Comprehensive Product Inventory: A one-stop shop for virtually all pet needs, stocking major brands like IAMS, Optimum, Canidae, Marineland, Science Diet, Nutro, and Fromm.
Knowledgeable and Dedicated Staff: Employees are consistently praised for being helpful, caring, and experienced, providing valuable advice to customers. Many staff members have long tenures, contributing to their expertise.
Commitment to Customer Service: Emphasizing a welcoming atmosphere, fair prices, and efficient, friendly service as core tenets of their operation for over 75 years.
Community Engagement: Actively involved with local animal welfare through partnerships like the CCSPCA for adoption events, demonstrating a commitment beyond sales.
Historical Significance: A Fresno landmark that has adapted and thrived through changing retail landscapes, maintaining its status as a beloved local business.
Spacious and Well-Stocked Environment: A large showroom that is well-organized and filled with a wide variety of animals and supplies, despite occasional anecdotal maintenance concerns.

Contact Information

Address: 5215 N Blackstone Ave, Fresno, CA 93710, USA

Phone: (559) 438-4343

Mobile Phone: +1 559-438-4343

Conclusion: Why this place is suitable for locals

For Californians, particularly those in Fresno and the surrounding Central Valley, Whitie's Pets stands as an exceptionally suitable and highly valued local resource for all their animal care needs. Its long-standing history, spanning over 75 years and multiple generations of family ownership, speaks volumes about its enduring commitment to the community and its pets. Unlike many contemporary retail experiences, Whitie's Pets offers a blend of expansive selection and deeply personalized service that resonates strongly with local residents.

The sheer size of their "pet superstore" means that Oklahomans can find virtually everything for their pets under one roof—from a vast array of food brands and toys for dogs and cats to specialized habitats for fish, reptiles, birds, and small animals. This comprehensive inventory saves locals time and effort. Moreover, the consistently praised knowledgeable and caring staff, many of whom have years of experience, provide invaluable advice and genuine assistance, making it more than just a transaction. The partnership with local animal welfare organizations like the CCSPCA for adoption events further highlights Whitie's Pets' commitment to the well-being of animals in the community. For a pet store that combines an extensive selection with a deep-rooted local history, expert advice, and a clear passion for animals, Whitie's Pets remains an indispensable and beloved institution for California pet owners.

Whitie's Pets Photos

Whitie's Pets Location

Whitie's Pets

California Fresno County Fresno North Blackstone Avenue

5215 N Blackstone Ave, Fresno, CA 93710, USA

Whitie's Pets Reviews

First time visiting, enjoyed the store at first. They had a wide selection of animals and products. Although once getting to the fish section no amount of cool animals or Interesting products could take away from seeing this abnormally large flying cockroach just chillen above some of the aquariums. My son Dimitri and I were both concerned about this monstrosity flying and attempting to attack us or even having it flying around the store and traumatizing other children. It’s concerning that the employees DID notice it was there, yet none of them did anything to deal with the issue. There could be more…
Mar 09, 2025 · kaleb H. Sandoval
We love this store. Employees have always been helpful and shown genuine care about what they do. Whities is my go-to for my pets needs.
May 19, 2025 · Dani Avery
Very friendly staff and knowledgeable about the dog food I needed for my tiny rescue Chihuahua.Decent food prices and found exactly what I needed for my little fella!
Mar 28, 2025 · Richard Bohannon
The variety of aquatic stock and plants here is incredible and unparalleled by any other pet supply shops or chains I have been to. The interior also features beautiful aquariums cared for by the employees.The employees themselves are very knowledgeable and attentive. This is one of the few places where almost everyone I speak to fully knows what I’m talking about and can answer questions realistically from their own experiences.Their plants and fish are almost always very healthy, and those who are not they either mark not for sale or inform you prior to purchasing. Most of my larger aquarium stock is purchased from this location.That being said, I have had two fatalities from this store the same day I brought them home and began the acclimation process. I am unsure if the fish were ill beforehand, or if the stress of the move was too much for them.One (a blue angel ram—notoriously delicate fish) appeared to have swim bladder and unfortunately was not aided by the gentle salt dip and careful attention in its quarantine tank. The other three rams I purchased from here at the same time, however, have thrived in my 40g planted tank.The second baffles me—a medium sized clown loach from a group of six. All the loaches settled in splendidly and with no difficulty, except for this one. He sat at the bottom of the tank on his side and appeared to have some seizure-like attack and was breathing rapidly. He passed on very quickly following that.I’m always very careful not to add fish to an aquarium that isn’t well established. This tank is natural planted and triple filtered, having been cycling for three months prior to any addition of fish. The water parameters were very stable and nearly identical to the tank where I keep my rams and peacock gudgeons, both of whom are very delicate and sensitive to water toxicity and general hardness. I am unsure what could have caused this type of severe reaction and have never had any fish react this way before.All that being said, quarantine and acclimate your fish slowly, and just keep a close eye on them upon purchasing. Always be very selective about which you choose and from what tank to ensure you’re not bringing home anything that could crash your tank, or that has a greater chance of not surviving the stress of a transfer.Their return/refund policy is a bit strange, and for me not really worth the 40-50 minute drive it takes to get there from my location in Hanford. You must contact them within 48 hours if a fish is sick or dead, and bring in the fish and a water sample within that time frame for a partial refund (1/3 of the original cost) or a replacement. The replacement is entirely dependent upon your water parameters testing safely. They will NOT sell you more fish if your water is not suitable to support their wellbeing—as they shouldn’t.All around however, their prices are fairly reasonable, the store is easy to navigate, the employees are helpful, and there is plenty of parking. It can occasionally be a bit crowded, which may affect wait times if you need assistance with something. The wait is never that bad, though.Definitely check it out, if only for the incredible marine and freshwater displays they’ve put together!Last video is my own tank—work in progress, but almost everything is from this location.
Jun 25, 2024 · Bethany Vela
I recently got into tarantulas and was looking into getting live feeders. I really didn't want to ship them with the current weather, so I started checking out pet stores in the area. This was the second store in my search, and definitely is going to be a go to. They had a decent size selection of tarantulas, more slings than anything. I noticed a handful of mexican firelegs though, that was my first buy and I wish I would've got it from them because I'd save a fortune on shipping. They had a couple larger adult sized ones as well. Though they were kind of hard to see in the setup. They're all inside a glass counter, much like your average gunstore. However if you asked they would pull them out and show them to you, but I didn't want to bother the guy behind the counter too much. He was really helpful, didn't get his name. But he obviously knows his stuff. Pointed me in the direction where all the feeders were (legitimately like 6 feet away from me smh). I'm looking to get a gbb and they didn't have one, but I'll likely check in every few months and see what they have then. I'd much rather buy it in person because that overnight shipping cost almost as much as the tarantula would. The cashier was great as well.They have dubias, crickets, mealworms, superworms, flightless fruit flies... basically every feeder that you'd need. Highly recommend. Staff is great too 👍🏾They also have every enclosure item you'd need as well. I wasn't to much a fan of the enclosures themselves, but they have piles of cork bark and branches for great prices. Along with fake and live plants. Leaf litter, moss, ornaments... anything you'd stick in an enclosure they have stockpiled.
Jun 27, 2025 · Jesse Kaiman