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"Everyone is entitled to their own opinions, but they are not entitled to their own facts."
U.S. Senator Pat Moynihan
SevenOneEighty
U.S. Senator Pat Moynihan
SevenOneEighty
Brooklynian » Forum » Park Slope »
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Man, Why didnt anyone tell me? These guys had some of the best selection of freshwater cichlids in Brooklyn and the place has been there for decades! What a shame. They siad they can no longer afford the rent and do not plan on opening anywhere else. I only bought Aquarium fish and supplies from them and never bought rabbits, birds or anything like that. But I liked their selection better than Petco and Petrland Discounts. The owner would get special shipments from Florida and always had pihrana, arowanas, firemouths, and oscars. I bought a few juruparis from him that are still doing great. They have been having a sale there for over 3 weeks now and the place is almost completely empty - if it isnt closed already. What a shame. I dont know where I will get my freshwater fish from now...may have to trek to manhattan to Chinatown or New World Aquarium on E. 38th street... First the Brooklyn Dodgers and now this. Another one (brooklyn institution) bites the dust...
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Subject: 9th street aquarium
I know just how you feel. I love that place. My daughter has a big corn snake that needs to be fed weekly so I am always in there buying a mouse.When I am there I aways talk to the parrots etc. My kids have gotten their hamsters, gerbils, iguanas, etc. there. It was a class trip destination when my son went to the Brooklyn New School. I am feeling very nostolgic about the place and I am very sad that it is closing. -
This is the store that was selling sick rabbits and rabbits way too young to be away from their mother (under 2 months). These little pet stores often treat animals like crap, but these guys were really bad. Good riddance.
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These are the same guys who had the display window facing the sun am I right? Didn't they keep birds and/or rabbits in that heat?TI'm glad when any pet store closes. I feel bad seeing animals caged up like that. Even fish. I mean I have no problem eating animals, especially rare with a nice sherry pepper sauce, but not caging them. Except a pet clam perhaps. I mean where does clam go whether it's in a tank or under the beach sand?"Clamato! Straight Up! No chasah!
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bought a goodly number of fish there when I had a tank, mostly cichlids and goldfish. The employees were always cool but the two guys who ran the place always were a bit rude I thought, too bad though. Petland is a joke in comparison.For The Love Of Paris, Don't Go To The Lounge!
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Subject: Brooklyn Aquarium
I have dealt with the two guys you refer to for years and I have to come to their defense. They are both old time park slopers and very genuine - not phoney. You should have heard them talk about the good old days when they enjoyed their customers and the customers appreciated the service and expertise they freely offered. I'm certain one of the reasons they aregetting out of the business is their view, expressed to me, about the"yuppies' and their attitude when they visit the store. Believe me, some of the stories they told me were shocking. Surprisingly, theft, was a problem they were experiencing with the "yuppies", not their earlier day customers. When my daughters snake refused to eat and I was desperate for an opinion, one of these guys came to my house to try and feed the snake and give me some advise. -
I hate to see old timers close up but not when they are mistreating animals. Perhaps I was one of the "yuppies" the old timers thought was rude when I politely suggested that the rabbits needed shade in the front window. Talk about a rude reply! So I reported them to the ASPCA and was told there were numerous complaints filed against them for birds not being fed, birds and animals in the hot sun without adequate water, dirty cages etc. I can't get my violin out over the closing of that store i am afraid. Good riddance!
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Yea, you are probably right about the shadeless windows and the cage situation. They could have done a better job and kept the store up a little better IMO. I can't say I am completely against ALL pet stores especially here in NYC where so many people love their pets. I'd like to think that some of those animals found good homes in Brooklyn with loving families and were treated well. We all wish we could go to breeders and shelters, etc. but when you need food, supplies and medicine, that really isn't always the best option. I often wonder how people keep such large dogs in their smal apartments with no backyards...One of the reasons I don't have a dog or cat is that my place, I feel, is too small for them. But, I will miss the fish selection. (anyone catch the animal rights activists on 60 Minutes yesterday?)"Everyone is entitled to their own opinions, but they are not entitled to their own facts."
U.S. Senator Pat Moynihan
SevenOneEighty -
Subject: Re: Brooklyn Aquarium
Diane » I have dealt with the two guys you refer to for years and I have to come to their defense. They are both old time park slopers and very genuine - not phoney. You should have heard them talk about the good old days when they enjoyed their customers and the customers appreciated the service and expertise they freely offered. I'm certain one of the reasons they aregetting out of the business is their view, expressed to me, about the"yuppies' and their attitude when they visit the store. Believe me, some of the stories they told me were shocking. Surprisingly, theft, was a problem they were experiencing with the "yuppies", not their earlier day customers. When my daughters snake refused to eat and I was desperate for an opinion, one of these guys came to my house to try and feed the snake and give me some advise.
Sounds like we know why they are going out of business now. With that type of attitude, no business would survive around here. It's no more appropo to treat all "yuppies" as one big homogenous group than it is to do the same to any other. Good riddance.For The Love Of Paris, Don't Go To The Lounge! -
SevenOneEighty » We all wish we could go to breeders and shelters, etc. but when you need food, supplies and medicine, that really isn't always the best option.
Well, but plenty of stores sell pet supplies but not animals. I think it is crazy to buy a dog or cat from a pet store -- I've heard so many horror stories about animals that turned out to be seriously sick or could not be properly socialized. On the other hand, a pet shop seems like a reasonable place to buy a fish or a rodent. I haven't been in that 9th Street store for years but when my kids were young and I was desperate to get out of the house, I used to take them there sometimes so they could pet the bunnies. I used to feel sorry for the birds -- they would have lots of birds packed into a tiny cage. -
Oh please-those guys were NOt bad! Are you kidding me? We have bought all of our freshwater fish from them for the last 18 years and we have fish that have lived for 6, 7, 8 years now. I also bought my son's gerbil from them and she is as healthy as a horse and 2 years old now! Don't talk about things you do not know! And, that front window? The animals had access to the inside and plenty of food and water!
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Yeah-that is why they are closing-gee-I wonder how they managed to stay in business for well over 20 years if the owners (BTW-there is only one owner-you must be thinking of the manager Chris as the other owner-Charlie is the owner) if they were so rude to people? Sheesh Now-where am I supposed to buy my fish? Oh-and they didn't sell dogs and cats to the othr people responding-birds, fish and small animals and supplies. i refuse to buy fish from Petland-ugh!
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I really like Petco. Its where I adopted my two little kitties. We used to get all our fish there (when we had a fish tank) and they seemed ok to me. What I really like about Petco is they allow shelters to hold adoption days instead of selling the cats and dogs.
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ugh-I am just getting angrier and angrier about this. I can't stand how all of these stores that have been in business for so many years are now going under-only to be replaced by a realtor or a cell phone store or some ridiculously priced, nobody needs anything from it store. We aren't supposed to have any useful stores in this neighborhood-right? Only fancy schmancy shops and maybe once in a blue moon outrageously overpriced bakeries-I just hate it!
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I'm curious, is the pet store/owner being evicted or is he retiring?"Clamato! Straight Up! No chasah!
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For the record, over the years I spent quite a bit of money there, despite the fact I felt like the owner/manager/whatever were rude. Diane's report only underscores my experience. Just because you own a small business, that doesn't entitle you to prejudge people. I hope that a good local business opens in their spot, and not another cell phone store, but I'm not going to lose any sleep over those two jerks.For The Love Of Paris, Don't Go To The Lounge!
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guest101 » Oh please-those guys were NOt bad! Are you kidding me? We have bought all of our freshwater fish from them for the last 18 years and we have fish that have lived for 6, 7, 8 years now. I also bought my son's gerbil from them and she is as healthy as a horse and 2 years old now! Don't talk about things you do not know! And, that front window? The animals had access to the inside and plenty of food and water!
I don't know anything about other animals, but I know rabbits, and they were mistreating their rabbits. I have no problem with wanting old neighborhood institutions to stick around. Heck, I've no problem with prejudging their new yuppie customers. But these guys were treating animals like crap, and that sucks. So, yeah, good riddance. -
steve » For the record, over the years I spent quite a bit of money there, despite the fact I felt like the owner/manager/whatever were rude. Diane's report only underscores my experience. Just because you own a small business, that doesn't entitle you to prejudge people. I hope that a good local business opens in their spot, and not another cell phone store, but I'm not going to lose any sleep over those two jerks.
You always come across so lovely in your posts Steve. I hope I never have the mis-fortune to meet you -
guest101 » [quote="steve"]For the record, over the years I spent quite a bit of money there, despite the fact I felt like the owner/manager/whatever were rude. Diane's report only underscores my experience. Just because you own a small business, that doesn't entitle you to prejudge people. I hope that a good local business opens in their spot, and not another cell phone store, but I'm not going to lose any sleep over those two jerks.
You always come across so lovely in your posts Steve. I hope I never have the mis-fortune to meet you[/quote] OK, OK - lets not get personal here. Settle down everyone. Can't we all just get along? -
guest101 » [quote="steve"]For the record, over the years I spent quite a bit of money there, despite the fact I felt like the owner/manager/whatever were rude. Diane's report only underscores my experience. Just because you own a small business, that doesn't entitle you to prejudge people. I hope that a good local business opens in their spot, and not another cell phone store, but I'm not going to lose any sleep over those two jerks.
You always come across so lovely in your posts Steve. I hope I never have the mis-fortune to meet you[/quote] Get a life you anonymous troll.For The Love Of Paris, Don't Go To The Lounge! -
Subject: Yuppies
I'm sorry if I misled anyone. In one conversation I had with the ower he was talking about the changing neighborhood and that he had noticed a real difference in recent years. YUPPIE was MY word. I do not believe he catagorizes people as a group. He seemed to treat his customers the way they acted toward him. Yes, occassionally, he did seem a little gruff/rude but don't we all. He often spoke about his fishing trips, and how he hired kids that needed a break. etc. He teased me that I always had a cup of coffee in my hand. And honestly, if they did mistreat the animals then of course that would be horrible but I never noticed any animal looking mistreated. The staff always seemed to be working, cleaning the fish tanks. Filling up the bins of pet food. etc. By the way, the owner, I believe decided to sell the building. -
Subject: Filthy
I can't say I'm sorry to see them go. I never bought anything there, but I'd walk by all the time to look at the rabbits with my son. The window display of animals often looked filthy. The day I saw it crawling with roaches really turned me off. That's not cute and fluffy.
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Anonymous » I don't know anything about other animals, but I know rabbits, and they were mistreating their rabbits.
Yes, that is painfully true. A few months before they closed, I saw that a rabbit in the window looked to possibly have head tilt - a condition that can escalate into a really nasty situation if not treated. I came back the next day with a friend to see that the rabbit in question was gone, but there was another very young rabbit that was so mucus-matted, she could barely breathe. I'd intended to just take pictures of the rotten conditions that day, but this little girl was so ill, and had another little bun with her that couldn't have been more than 3-4 weeks old. I asked the gentlemen in charge if they'd be receiving medical attention, and they LAUGHED at me. I said then I would buy them, to which one of the gents replied, "Why do you want those sick rabbits? I'll get you some good ones instead. Hell, I have a big, crazy male one I can't get rid of. I'll give you that one for free!" I told them I was buying them (at $50 each, mind you) so that they could get some medical attention. Yes, I know one's not supposed to buy animals from a store, but I could NOT just leave them there, and knew that at least I'd possess evidence I could use against them should I start a complaint. Brought them right to Animal Kind, where the doctors were absolutely appalled by how young, sick, and filthy these rabbits were, and noted that they'd also had complaints about the store not only administering drugs to sick rabbits people were bringing back in - they were unlicensed to do so, AND the WRONG drugs. The older rabbit was euthanized at the hospital that night. The younger rabbit lived one day longer. I made it my sworn business to get the store's animal vending license taken away, and I shed not a tear when they closed. Just because a business is local, doesn't mean that it's got some moral superiority. The sort of disregard they were displaying was shameful. -
Subject: Lovebirds in Park Slope
I purchased 2 baby Lovebirds a few years ago from Bklyn Aquarium on 9th street. The owners wouldn't let me take them home, until they were a few weeks older and were able to eat seeds, and not need their bottles anymore. Those Lovebirds (Dina & Dino) were much in love and over the years gave birth to many baby birds (about 6 not all at once). The owners at Bklyn Aquarium, over the years provided me w/bird cage paper, vitamins, seeds, and much needed advice on how to hand feed (yes w/a syringe & boiled food aka "mush") the baby birds, once their mom lost interest. I wish them & the employees there (all hard working individuals) much luck in the next chapter in their lives. I also hope that there won't be another pharmacy store (as we already have CVS, Eckhard, Rite Aid) or yet another .99 store in Park Slope. -
malphigian » This is the store that was selling sick rabbits and rabbits way too young to be away from their mother (under 2 months). These little pet stores often treat animals like crap, but these guys were really bad. Good riddance.
Were animals actually being abused by the store workers?
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