Couple's pet project is their business, too

Pet stores have a special meaning for Aaron and Sheri Weisberg. They met in one.

Years ago, a mutual friend urged Sheri to buy products at an Ohio pet store where Aaron was the manager. They ended up talking for hours.

They later operated their own store in Ohio for 13 years before returning to Arizona, where each previously lived.

"We said, 'Let's do this again,' " Aaron said. "Everyone said, 'You're going to go up against the big boys.' We said, 'Well, we're true pet lovers. It's a little different when a pet lover runs a store for pets.' "

In October, the couple opened Pet Supplies & More at 91st Avenue and Union Hills Drive in Peoria. The sounds of birds chirping and the sights of fish tanks greet customers.

Pet Supplies & More sells fish, reptiles, birds, ferrets, hamsters and dogs. Shoppers can buy pet food and supplies and splurge on dog accessories, like terry cloth bathrobes or camouflage overalls.

Grooming, doggy day care, boarding and veterinary services are offered. People also can take photos of their pets.

Kathleen Frazier brought her 6-year-old daughter, Hannah, to the store for the first time last month. The variety of animals impressed her.

"I love it," Kathleen said. "It's kind of like a zoo."

Hannah agreed. She oohed and aahed at the fish and birds before buying a birthday toy for her hamster, Jackson.

Stepping inside Pet Supplies & More is like touring the Weisbergs' Glendale property. Three of their cockatoos hang out in cages inside the store. But don't get to close to Dubey, Aaron warns; Dubey bites.

Posters of some of the couple's more than 240 dogs, cats and birds decorate the store's aisles and walls. Ask Aaron to name their dogs and cats, and he'll say it's no problem.

"That's Tazzie," he said, pointing to a sign in Aisle 2 featuring a photo of the family pooch, one of their 26 dogs.

But ask him to name their 200-plus birds, and that's another story.

Aaron said it has sometimes been hard to compete against the bigger stores, but he and his wife will meet or beat any locally advertised prices.

"I'm not looking to become a big chain or to have many, many stores," he said. "I'm just looking to have one store that serves the need of the people in the area. This is what we do."