(919) 286-2750
774 9TH St
Durham,
NC
27705
36.0103
-78.9218
Neighborhood: Old West Durham
01/22/09
EXCELLENT Feed selxn dog/cat/some horse/bird, collars/leashes, TOP Service, Community Leader
by vulpes
Customer Service Can't be Beat! Dog/cat feed: Natura products (yay! Innova, CA Natural, EVO), TOTW, EaglePack Holistic, Solid Gold, Diamond's Premium Edge (and Chicken Soup FTS, Diamond itself, crud in a bag), Purina ProPlan, Wellness etc. Comparable pricing with frequent buyer savings on select feeds. Samples for customers readily available on shelves, so you don't have to pay $20-40 just to "try" a premium, quality, nutrient-rich food. Recently Natura prices up at this store, actually better at Phydeaux, Chapel Hill, but I go to Barnes for good folks, local community feel, and great service! Eclectic variety of pet hardware (Lupine! lifetime warranty, free exchanges!), treats, bones (roasted, pig ears, bully sticks), toys and supplements; bird houses/feeders and feed. Beds/crates. GOOD supply Weaver leather dog restraints. In Spring, Broad St sidewalk storefront is full of their plants for sale, primarily commercialized (Bonnie brand), but still pretty to looksee. EXCELLENT folks workin there, very attentive, consistent, helpful, know their stock and inventory well. If they don't know they'll find out, they'll order it, check with a "senior level" employee, they'll "serve" you, unlike the chainstores! Special orders also. Also carry Purina livestock feeds, in the heart of Durham, imagine! I'd love some horse dewormers and supplements, but they are just Filled to Capacity already with pet foods. Please, keep their doors open and their staff employed, as I and my crazed critters would miss Barnes terribly! GO get some yummy food! Maybe they'll expand some day and have all my critters' needs met, if you patron their fine establishment that is!
- Pros: Best stock of pet feeds in Durham, HANDS DOWN! Supreme Service!
11/19/08
The place to go for safe, healthy, and natural pet food!
by kwinz
I love Barnes Supply! We buy most of our pet food there. A couple of years ago, we learned the hard way that pets aren't safe eating most of the supermarket brand foods. We lost our beautiful, sweet tortoiseshell cat to kidney failure, a casualty of that national rash of pet foods tainted with bad Chinese grain ingredients. Afterwards, I wanted to learn as much as possible about pet nutrition so I could feel confident I would never again feed our pets something harmful. I was stunned to learn that the vast majority of commercial cat and dog foods are made with ingredients like corn and wheat that are really bad for cats and dogs. After all, they are carnivores. That means they need meat. They just aren't built to digest plant proteins very well. Also, the most common allergies in cats and dogs are to corn, wheat, and soy, but we usually don't realize that our itchy, scratchy, stinky, hairball-y pets wouldn't be like that if we gave them better food. Most of the commercial foods are loaded up with cheap grain-based fillers and most of us never know better. Even a lot of the of the so-called "premium" brands are really not much better, when you read the ingredients. Now I'm careful to read labels and buy foods that don't contain things like wheat gluten or corn. The really annoying thing is that safe and healthy brands of pet food aren't sold at most supermarkets or even pet stores. Barnes Supply Co is a treasure because they do sell the good stuff, and in a wide variety, at decent prices. Barnes Supply has the best range of natural, organic, and "specialty" brands of any store I've seen - Innova, EVO, Wellness, Taste of the Wild, Solid Gold, Organix, and more. By the way, they also have a nice gardening and outdoor section, and sometimes they'll even have some locally made treats for humans up by the register.
- Pros: Quality and variety of products, especially good pet foods.
- Cons: Parking can be a bit difficult, but there's more around back.
08/10/06
Great gardening and animal supply resource
by sally_brown
Unlike the big box stores with fresh faces every week, turnover here is low. The staff knows their products and can give helpful advice. Ben, in particular, is awesome. He's been there for 5 years, and is unfailingly attentive and friendly. From pet food ingredients to pest control, his in-depth knowledge puts chemists to shame. If I had time, I'd stop in just to pick his brain and get an education. Their prices are somewhat higher, but their quality and selection far superior. It's like going back to an earlier era but with modern sophistication. They pack a lot into 4 walls. I can't speak much to gardening, but few to no places in the Triangle have that range of premium pet food and supplies. Most of their foods and supplements and treatments aren't even carried by the big pet supply retailers, who largely peddle junk anyway. It's not just for cats and dogs, but birds and horses and rabbits, as well. They'll happily special order for you too, and know their repeat customers' needs. I've never had a bad customer experience here, but also recognize that one or two people must handle the whole store. Again, it's an old-fashioned place without much computerization. These people stay busy even without waiting on customers. Don't expect super-prompt service all the time, but when they get to you, you'll get all the time you need. Try THAT at a big box!
- Pros: Wide range of premium garden and animal supplies; knowledgeable staff
- Cons: Somewhat pricier; sometimes slow; closed on Sundays
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