Pet Stores
AJ's Pets & Things
About AJ's Pets & Things
Pet food runs out on a schedule that has nothing to do with your own, usually on the evening when the last thing you want is another trip across town. That is the practical reason independent pet shops hold their ground next to the big box aisles. They are close by, they are quick, and somebody behind the counter can talk about what one particular animal actually eats.
AJ's Pets & Things is at 3217 31 Ave, in the downtown blocks where the storefronts sit close together and several errands can be strung into a single walk. Shops in this line vary widely in what they carry. Some lean heavily toward dogs and cats, others keep tanks going, or stock small mammals, birds and reptile supplies, and the mix follows what a particular town keeps as pets. Knowing the brand and the bag size before you ask makes the visit a great deal shorter.
Vernon hands an animal four real seasons to get through. Winters run colder here than farther down the valley, which brings salt, ice and all the paw care that goes with them, while summer means long days at the lakes and the tick checks, cooling mats and life jackets that follow. If something is not on the shelf, asking whether it can be ordered in is almost always worth more than a drive to Kelowna and back for a single bag.
Visiting AJ's Pets & Things
Getting there
In the Downtown Vernon neighbourhood of Vernon.
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More places near Downtown Vernon
Other pet stores and nearby businesses in the Vernon directory.
From the blog
Vernon guides and stories
Longer reads from the editor, with the places worth a detour linked inside them.
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O'Keefe Ranch's Field of Screams and Davison Orchards' haunted mazes and pumpkin patch, plus Vernon Fire Rescue's annual safety tips.
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Vernon's Labour Day weekend has knights, aerialists and one very quiet lake
The Renfaire runs both weekend days at Polson Park, Kalamalka stays swimmable, Armstrong's Musical Ride stop was cancelled, and SilverStar needs a phone call first.
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Where to shop in Vernon: gear city, plus the avenue
Vernon's shopping has a split personality: one of the deepest outdoor gear concentrations in BC and a walkable downtown avenue of independents, with the mall quietly covering everything else.
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