Puppies, Fish & Critters is more than another mall pet store. It's a boutique pet store specializing in fresh-water fish and puppies as well as personal service within the store and to the community. Walking into the Scottsdale Centre store you will find experts willing to take all the time you need to understand the fine points of common and exotic pets, puppies raised and hand-delivered to the store by small breeders who guarantee their animals are well-treated and well-socialized, and a unique fundraising opportunity for your school.

"We're constantly hunting for new, ethical small breeders," says owner Tom Bettauer. "Their puppies have lots of contact with humans and are well-treated, so they're not scared or unruly when you bring them home from our store. That comes from non-stop handling. You just don't get that from a big facility."

Tom and Helen Bettauer have owned Puppies, Fish & Critters for the last six years. Tom has had personal pets for more than 30 years, and emerged as a specialist in fresh water fish and dogs. He also knows a great deal about reptiles, cats, salt-water fish, birds, and rodents, having had them all as pets at one point or another. If he doesn't know it, chances are one of his half-dozen staff do.