Written by Skye Conner
Motorists who drive down Cedar Street at the corner of East Grand River have a front row view of a slice of the Caribbean. Literally, the entire facade of the building facing Cedar Street will eventually feature a fully realized image of a mural from a freshwater scene into a deep ocean image including animals, sea life and birds native to one of the most beautiful places in the world.
The Preuss Animal House was located in a 9,000 square foot space in Haslett. They are now housed in a 22,000 newly renovated building with the amenities of a world class pet store.
The entire interior has been created in the image of a Caribbean oasis. It will be the place to visit for Michigan’s long suffering veterans of the harsh winter.
The Preuss Animal House is known in Michigan as the largest family owned pet store. According the owner, Rick Preuss, they strive for excellent customer service and to have a knowledgeable staff.
They have the widest selection of exotic birds that are hand fed. Rick’s wife, Debbie is the bird room manager and she is pleased to have an opportunity to train birds in a rainforest-like environment.
There is also a new reptile room that has the feel of being lost in a jungle. Included in the decor perched in the ceiling is a piece of an airplane intertwined with decorative foliage. They have awesome full view terrariums with everything in them from frogs to snakes to turtles. Also being offered are exotic smaller animals such as short tailed possums.
A shell of a colorfully painted school bus, houses the gerbils, hamsters, rats, guinea pigs and adds to the impression that the store is an overgrown abandoned place where animals live in their native environment.
If there was something fishy going on in Old Town, it would be found in the increased number of fish tanks in their expanded fish department.
Preuss Animal House has about 1,000 marine species in stock at all times. In addition to their usual selection they also have rare or unusual items such as captive bred seahorses , a wide selection of gorgonians (purple, yellow, orange and red) and a large selection of rare and unusual corals.
There are many new features that have been added such as an in store freshwater breeding and propagation area in the back room as well.
When asked how they like their new building, according to the folks at Preuss, everything is going "swimmingly".
Preuss Animal House is definitely the place to visit for your pet needs. Even if you don’t have pets it is a place where you would go just to escape from the mundane things in life. While you are there you may just find out how soothing it is to have a state of the art fish tank. For more information, please call (517) 339-1762.
