Russo's Pet Experience

We just bought an adorable bogle puppy from Russo's to bad she has a bad case of parasites. I called to notify the manager Sumi who sold us the dog however she didn't seem to concerned that our puppy had a raging case of parasites. The vet notified me that they are super contagious so every puppy that has come in contact with my puppies poop must have it to. My new puppy also eats it's own poop and that just can't be normal. Eating cat poop is one thing but her own. Yuck! Be careful buying a pet here they are sick and can infect your whole home. more

This shop is pandering to the society trends of south orange county and is overseen by The Irvine Co. which is nothing short of a monopoly and will never do a thing against these stores due to the business they attract with pure suckers who are lured by cute puppy's in the window, but have not done any research, preparation or self education on what they are supporting. What idiots would throw money at a store that buys all their puppy's from mass puppy mills out of Iowa, with no care to investigate conditions of where there dog is coming from, business principles, or the perpetuating crime of overproducing puppies that have a 80% likelihood of ending up sick, with kennel cough, or hyperglycemia, or ptsd, and will be inevitably surrendered to shelters and breed rescues much of the time. People why are you throwing away thousands of dollars for buying unhealthy puppies and reinforcing this terrible cycle! Stop being OC drones! I walked into Russo's yesterday at the Irvine Spectrum, and saw many puppies that were underage to be shipped on a plane, many that appeared sick and runts (aka teacups) with difficulty breathing and listless. Worse off they will give a puppy to anyone who has money regardless of that puppy's future welfare, whether the owners are fit to care for it, or the puppy is appropriate for the family. For a area set on high standards of living, you sure set the bar low for human decency and compassion for animals. more

Russo's is not closed as the poster stated. Liar!!! They have beautiful healthy dogs for sale and they sell quickly. The dogs do not appear sad and I've never seen the blood shot eyes described by the poster who left negative comments. People want to own dogs and have a right to buy puppies not just sick and disgarded dogs found at animal shelters. When I was younger there were many pet stores to visit and buy pets from now there are few due to a variety of factors but in some part due to bad press about puppy mills. Puppy mills are in fact bad places but eliminating good, well run, pet stores with kind and caring personnel like Russo's will not change anything. I bought my cockapoo from a small pet store like in my neighborhood, it was not Russo's but another store. Everyone in my neighborhood who bought puppies from this store was satisfied and has enjoyed their dogs. I wish we had more choices and not less. Responsible breeders are usually located far from large metropolitan areas and are too far to travel for most buyers. Pet stores provide a good way for people to see and select from a wide variety of healthy young animals. There should be more local pet stores that carry healthy puppies. more

I have bought three dogs and two cats from Russo's in the past 10 years...and their all fantastic, healthy dogs and cats!!! Don't listen to much of this "don't buy from a pet store" these animals need homes just like the one's in the shelters. Their not all from puppy mills and their not all sick. Animals get sick, just like humans and some need more care then others. Russo's is not like other pet stores, they have quality dogs and cats. more

They get pets from puppy mills! Every time you buy a pet from Russos you kill another animal that needed to be adopted. Hundreds of pets die every SECOND, and youre to blame when you buy here. more

We bought an puppy from Russo's, the puppy was ill and required $500.00 worth of vet bills to make her well. Russo's states that they will cover bills for this reason. Sumi (store manager) has avoided phone calls. Lied and stated she has mailed the check. That was one week ago and still no check. VERY POOR CUSTOMER RELATIONS. DECEITFUL BUSINESS PRACTICE.... more

I purchased my King Charles from Russo's 3 1/2 years ago, She is healthy and wonderful. I purchased a cat 2 1/2 years ago for my parents, he is healthy and wonderful and my sister in-law purchased a yorkie from a breeder of the internet and had the dog shipped to her 3 years ago and the dog got very sick as a puppy but is okay now. I would purchase another pet from Russo's Fashion island. All breederes all pet stores will sometimes have sick puppies. You just have to know what you are doing when selecting your next forever love!! more

A. you can't write the same review for two different stores B. your friend can't buy ONE dog from two different stores C. YOU'RE AN IDIOT D. your friend did not buy a German shepherd from either of the Russo's locations because Russo's doesn't CARRY German shepherds. Rarely do they carry large breeds at all and NEVER have they carried German shepherds. BOTTOM LINE: you're an idiot. you are talking out of your ass and its people like you (whom have never dealt with a pet store first hand) that give pet stores bad names more

Sara wrote: is it the fault of the innocent puppy in the cage that it was brought into this obscure world? what help is it to refuse to buy that puppy- leaving him in that small cage for months. tell me, how are you helping? This is an excellent example of a lack of understanding of simple economics and how to prevent puppymills and the basic inhumane breeding practices. You are helping the most by refusing the face in the window, because it is the demand for petshop puppies that is keeping brokers and mills in business. No demand - no mills and no brokers. Simple as that. Brokers evaluate the purchase statitistis and inform their backyard breeders and auction suppliers of what "is moving" - this then increases the breeding and price. Buy from a reputable breeder (who said anything about AKC by the way) who does health testing and genetic evaluations of the pedigree and we wouldn't have these problems and those poor faces in the window would be decreasing (ultimately eliminated). more

Good: Russo's quality, and service to their animals.. Bad: hat all the dogs or puppies came from puppy mills.. Improvements: Well, I think Russo's should stop taking in puppies from a puppy mill and help out Irvine's local shelters. They should take half the animals and split the money they got that week. It can happen.. more

We bought out puppy at the Fashion Island store 3 years ago and have had no problems with the dog, the store or their recommended vet in Irvine. We paid $1400 for a Maltese. We asked if they could guarantee it would not get bigger than 6 pounds because we wanted a small one. They said no which was honest. He did get to 5 pounds and is perfectly healthy BUT we did go to 6 shops and 2 breaders and did online research as to what to expect with this type of dog, what to look for etc. We did see differences in health, attitude, etc of the dogs we saw, all Maltese of course and also found out the breaders were nut cases. I think the people who have had bad experiences with Russo's did not do any homework at all and just went on down and plunked down their money and left with the 1st dog their stupid kid pointed out. And as far as Russo's being out of business according to one poster that does not prove a thing. If someone sued them all that says is "someone sued them". That does not mean Russo's did anything wrong. If anything you'd probably now get a better result at Russo's because of all the negative press everyone is pushing. more

those who classify people who buy from pet stores as 'ignorant' are pretentious. why is it that when buying a puppy you must go through an akc approved breader- or else categorized as an animal abuser? yes puppy mills are awful, and yes many pet stores buy from them... but not all of them... i'll guarentee that. and even if they did happen to come from a puppy mill... is it not still a little life that needs love? is it the fault of the innocent puppy in the cage that it was brought into this obscure world? what help is it to refuse to buy that puppy- leaving him in that small cage for months. tell me, how are you helping? more

Reputable breeders care about the puppies they produce and where they go - they do not sell an animal sight unseen to a broker and a pet store without any idea where that animal will end up. It requires a profound level of ignorance to not understand this or that as a result, that all animals in pet stores are from puppymills and backyard breeders who are motivated by one thing: money and NOT the health or well being of the animals. Here is the Better Business rating for Russo's: http://www.labbb.org/BBBWeb/Forms/Business/CompanyReportPage_Expository.aspx?CompanyID=13041223 And if you're interested in another Orange County puppmill shop because you think any of them are different, then consider the Better Business report on Indogneato (now Barkworks): http://www.labbb.org/BBBWeb/Forms/Business/CompanyReportPage_Expository.aspx?CompanyID=13026498 It also requires ignorance to pay double for a dog in a petstore without assessing temperament of the parents and other offspring, reviewing health certifications such as orthpedics (OFFA.org), eyes (CERF), and other specific health requirements depending on the breed. You don't get a contract protecting the puppy, you don't get any health guarantees, and you know nothing about the genetic background of these dogs - yet you see that face in the window, so why not an impulse purchase? Amazing! more

i bought my dog a year ago and i've had not one problem with him.. i love him to death, and i know many others who have had great experiences buying from russo's. its pretty upsetting to hear such awful reviews, when a lot of you need to get your facts straight. i know for a fact that russo's takes care of their dogs, and treats them with the proper medical care... if something is wrong, the puppy is immediately driven to the vet. they bathe them, feed them hand mixed food 2 x daily, give them treats, and plenty of attention, they even go on walks. there's a 3% chance ANYwhere you buy a puppy, that it may be sick. puppies (since most are sold between the age of 8-12 weeks) don't have their shots yet, which makes them very suseptable to different sicknesses... ie: kennel cough. there are pros and cons to buying from a pet store AND FROM A SHELTER! shelter dogs come with problems too... i can't stress that enough... and not only do they have potential heath problems, they can have previous trauma and behavioral problems as well. i believe if you are considering making a dog part of your life, you should research it and find the breed and age of dog that best suits your lifestyle..don't just pick whichever one is available at the shelter.(one of the main reasons people abandon their animals is because they didn't know what they were getting themselves into, they didn't do their research) YES adoption is so great because all animals deserve a home, and deserve a great life.. I just hate it that everyone believes buying puppies are bad and buying shelter dogs makes you so great. all dogs need homes, some people want an older dog, some want a puppy, let people make their own decisions... more

Beware of Russo's at the Spectrum! 1. My puppy's balls did not drop. At 3 months, I went into the store. Repeatedly I called and visited the store. The employees recognized me. I was told the problem would be covered and to give it a little longer. At the year anniversary I was again told to wait. AFTER THE YEAR, THEY SAID IT WOULD NOT BE COVERED BECAUSE THEY WERE NOT LEGALLY OBLIGATED BY THE WRITTEN CONTRACT. Buyer Beware, its a game they play. 2. I called repeatedly over the course of months. The store took my information on several occasions to give to the owner. NOW I AM TOLD THE OWNER HAS A POLICY OF NEVER CALLING BACK. So, why, take a message if its her policy to never call back? more

We have purchased 4 Cavalier King Charles puppies from them (Russos) and 2 out of the 4 died before they were 2 years old of LIVER DISEASE . The owners of Russos know who they are buying from and I found out ours came from Kerr Kennel who was just shut down by Animal control.....they are a puppy mill. PLEASE DO NOT BUY FROM THEM.......YOU DO NOT WANT TO GO THROUGH THE HEART BREAK MY FAMILY HAS more

Hi my name is Laurie and I'd like to share my recent experience. On October 6, 2006 my sister bought to cockapoo puppies from Russo's at the Irvine Spectrum. On Sunday they were really sick with diarrhea every hour on the hour. We took the 2 beautiful puppies to my vet and they were diagnosed with Parasites and "Giardiasis" which is a sickness from drinking contaminated water. The puppies were given antibiotics from my vet and would start feeling better by 7 days or so. My sister was afraid for the puppies so took them back to Russo's with the medicine. She was told that the puppies would be quarantined (however you spell it) for 8 days and be examined by their vet...We have recently found out that one of puppies recovered and was sold this past weekend and the other puppy is still really sick. I honestly don't think they are treating this puppy, she should of recovered from "Giardiasis" by now. I asked why she was still sick and an employee told me "some puppies take longer than others".. I feel so sad for these puppies who are so sick and honestly I again don't feel like they are giving them the proper treatment. I wish someone out there would listen and investigate these puppy stores. Thank you for listening. more

SAY NO TO PET SHOPS, especially Russo's @ Fashion Island. Whenever I visit Russo's, I notice that their puppies' eyes are always pure shot red. They are SAD and lonely. Their eyes say it. Hmm gee I wonder why they're so stressed all the time. Well, it's because they came from puppy mills. Note: Russo's at Fashion Island closed a few years back because of some lawsuit!! 9/10 dogs sold at pet stores were born in puppy mills. Say, what is a puppy mill? A puppy mill is a huge breeding place for dogs. These dogs have been kept in TINY cages with other puppies. They are confined to these cages for until they are "shipped" to a pet store. These dogs often come with diseases and after bought, get very ill. A friend of mine bought a beautiful German Shepherd from this same exact store, a few months ago. This puppy was healthy at first, then something was eating his leg. My friend spent over $5000 for this dog's surgery and medical bills. After a few weeks, he died :( If you're looking for a new pet, PLEASE please adopt!!! There are thousands, perhaps even million, of pets who are stuck in city pounds & animal shelters, waiting for a nice family. If they are not adopted within a certain # of days, they are euthanized. So go to www.petfinder.org to save a dog or cat's life. http://www.stoppuppymills.org/<-WATCH THE VIDEO!!! more