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... More

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!
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I used to buy dog food, garden supplies and plants here. It is close, only 2 miles from my house. I initially started going there because they carry great quality dog food, but unfortunately, they... More

I used to buy dog food, garden supplies and plants here. It is close, only 2 miles from my house. I initially started going there because they carry great quality dog food, but unfortunately, they do not store the food well. In the summer the food is exposed to heat and humidity (no AC) and they keep outdated products on the shelf. I once bought some food for my puppy and fed it to her without inspecting it first. I did not notice the mold until after I fed her. Luckily, she is still here and alive and well. When I brought the food back to the owner, he acted so rude to me, like I had done something wrong. They offered to swap the food out but all the food from that company was months out of date!!!! I went back to the store the next weekend, just to see what they did about the food. And to my horror, all of the same bags of food were still for sale on the shelf. I will NEVER recommend this place to anyone nor will I ever buy anything from these people ever again.
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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,... More

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.
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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,... More

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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I have gone to this store over the past year and found the service increasingly dismissive and unacceptable. They have a freq. card buyer program for pet food that they stubbornly assist customers... More

I have gone to this store over the past year and found the service increasingly dismissive and unacceptable. They have a freq. card buyer program for pet food that they stubbornly assist customers with. If I am buying $35 dog food...I expect to be treated like a valued customer! Find another place to shop...I'll never go back. Cons: Service, Bad Parking
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They have Eukanuba, Innova, Cali Natural, Diamond, Natural Choice, ProPlan etc in many formulas, diets, pounds, etc. Some basic supplies arsenal and a few equine products help round out their... More

They have Eukanuba, Innova, Cali Natural, Diamond, Natural Choice, ProPlan etc in many formulas, diets, pounds, etc. Some basic supplies arsenal and a few equine products help round out their inventory. Also, they offer, without requests, special feed discount programs, sharing the savings with the consumer, instead of pocketing the manufacturer rewards. GREAT customer service and personable communication. Just need to compare prices to potential competition at other small suppliers and the larger PetsMart, Petco, etc and adjust to a slightly less cost bracket for all foods. Consider EaglePack. Healthy ingredients, dense, high quality feed. Support NC feed manufacturers.
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Barnes is a rarity nowadays. It is an all-purpose garden supply and hardware store with a full stock of pet and livestock supplies (cats and dogs and chickens to name a few). They rent equipment,... More

Barnes is a rarity nowadays. It is an all-purpose garden supply and hardware store with a full stock of pet and livestock supplies (cats and dogs and chickens to name a few). They rent equipment, sell all kinds of gardening supplies from fresh flowers to bulbs to fertilizers adn dirt, and even sell pet vaccinations for those brave do-it-yourselfers. They are a local mainstay with deep family history in the area.
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Barnes Supply sells a mix of lawn & garden supplies and pet food & supplies. They also rent gardening equipment. As you walk down Ninth Street, you will see the plants and herbs out on the... More

Barnes Supply sells a mix of lawn & garden supplies and pet food & supplies. They also rent gardening equipment. As you walk down Ninth Street, you will see the plants and herbs out on the sidewalk for sale. They have the best variety that I have found for Holistic and Natural pet foods ( only the best for my kitty!). For example: Wellness, Innova, Nutro, and Chicken Soup for the Pet Lovers Soul and many others. They have a frequent purchase program for pet food. They also sell pet supplies (natural litter, collars, etc..).
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Barnes Supply sells a mix of lawn & garden supplies and pet food & supplies. They also rent gardening equipment. As you walk down Ninth Street, you will see the plants and herbs out on the sidewalk... More

Barnes Supply sells a mix of lawn & garden supplies and pet food & supplies. They also rent gardening equipment. As you walk down Ninth Street, you will see the plants and herbs out on the sidewalk for sale. They have the best variety that I have found for Holistic and Natural pet foods ( only the best for my kitty!). For example: Wellness, Innova, Nutro, and Chicken Soup for the Pet Lovers Soul and many others. They have a frequent purchase program for pet food. They also sell pet supplies (natural litter, collars, etc..).
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