Finding the best care for your pet is one of the important decisions you'll need to make as you are relocating.
“Until one has loved an animal, a part of one’s soul remains unawakened.”
- Anatole France
Owning a pet is an amazing experience. The feeling you get from having something that is always happy to see you can be incredibly rewarding.
Whether you already own a pet or are looking for a new companion, there are lots of pet-oriented businesses and organizations located throughout Citrus County.
Here are some of the most popular pet care places.
Adopting a Pet
Citrus County Animal Services
If you are looking for a new addition to your family, there is no better option for adopting a pet than Citrus County Animal Services.
Located on Airport Road in Inverness, this shelter is the perfect place to start your search for a new companion. There are always plenty of dogs and cats to choose from, and because they process so many adoptions, that list is always changing. You can see pictures of available dogs and cats anytime you like on their website, citruscritters.com.
Not only is adopting a sheltered pet a better option for our community, it is also much less expensive than purchasing a purebred animal. You can save a great pet from Citrus County Animal Services for as little as $60 for a dog or $35 for a cat!
In addition to their adoption services, the shelter also offers vaccinations, microchipping, and obedience classes. If you are considering adopting a dog and have never owned one before, these obedience classes can actually be more about training the owner than the dog. They can really teach you a great deal about how to handle your new friend properly.
Finding Your Pet a Vet
There are quite a few veterinary clinics located throughout Citrus County. Here are the four that are recommended by the county’s Chamber of Commerce:
Countryside Animal Clinic
Countryside Animal Clinic is located in Beverly Hills, only eight minutes down the road from the Villages of Citrus Hills. Led by Dr. Richard E. Dunn, this clinic can handle most of your pet concerns including vaccinations, preventive services, and dental work. Dr. Dunn is originally from Daytona Beach and established the Countryside Animal Clinic in 1984.
The Healing Place
At The Healing Place, Dr. Patricia “Trish” Kallenbach focuses on a holistic approach that treats your entire pet rather than focusing on particular symptoms. They can handle everything from standard checkups to CryoTherapy and Frequency Specific Low Level Laser Treatments. The Healing Place is located in Crystal River and is well known for having a very knowledgeable staff.
Inverness Animal Hospital
Led by Dr. Andrew Hooper, the Inverness Animal Hospital has been a leading pet care facility in Citrus County for more than 30 years. They offer everything from basic checkups and vaccinations to radiology and surgery right at the facility.
River Region Animal Hospital
Also located in Crystal River, River Region Animal Hospital is a newer facility that is led by Dr. Shane Henry. Dr. Henry has had an extensive veterinary career working in some major animal hospitals before relocating to Crystal River to open a smaller practice. In addition to offering a wide range of veterinary services, River Region Animal Hospital also stocks a number of pet care products.
Pet Stores
Now that we have covered the essential things like where to adopt a pet and finding a vet, let’s dive into the fun stuff like where to buy toys and treats for your pet!
Curious Creatures
Located right up the road in Beverly Hills, Curious Creatures is the go-to pet store for unique items that you might need if you have a non-traditional pet. From reptiles and birds to fish and supplies, they pride themselves on offering a huge selection of products for all types of pets.
Fancy’s Pets
One of the most popular pet stores in Citrus County is Fancy’s Pets, which is located along US-19 in Crystal River. This is a full service pet store that stocks just about anything you might need for your pet. They also do a great job of posting awesome pet-related content on their Facebook page!
Pet Supermarket
If you are just looking for the best possible price on dog food and other basic pet products, there is a good chance that Pet Supermarket in Inverness will be the best place for you to shop. This is more of a big box store than a boutique shopping experience, but they do have some great prices.
Pet Grooming & Boarding
Two of the biggest concerns that many potential pet owners have are how to handle grooming and what to do with their pet if they want to go away on a vacation. Neither of those concerns is a problem in Citrus County because we are virtually surrounded with some of the best grooming and boarding options you will find anywhere.
Citrus Pet Resort
Whether you are looking for grooming, boarding, or day care services, you can find them all rolled into one at Citrus Pet Resort. Located in Homosassa, this family run business offers complete grooming services for those pet owners looking to pamper their companions. They also have a beautiful boarding facility that will allow you to travel without worrying about how your pet is being treated!
Dirty Dogs Salon
If pampering your pet is at the top of your to-do list, then Dirty Dogs Salon in Hernando is the perfect place to take care of that. They offer a full range of grooming services including everything from bathing, brushing, and nail trimming to clipping, trimming, and styling. They also use only all natural products on your pets.
Precious Pets Resort
Located in Lecanto, Precious Pets Resort is another facility that combines grooming and boarding services. The big selling point here is that they do not have any cages or cement floors. This is probably the closest thing to dropping your pet off at grandma’s for the weekend.
Local Dog Parks
One of the best things about having a dog for a pet in the Villages of Citrus Hills is that you can take advantage of the on-site dog park at Rockwood Park, located in the Villages of Citrus Hills “Terra Vista” neighborhood.
This park features separate fenced-in areas for large and small dogs. There is also a covered resting and water station, restrooms, and a doggie rinse area.
Playful dogs will be drawn to the water play features, including the spraying fire hydrants. They will also love digging in the bone-shaped sand traps. The park also contains dog-friendly walking paths, benches for owners to relax, and “Poo Mail Service” stations for disposing of doggie waste.
However, that isn’t the only dog park located in Citrus County. There are actually a few others that are also worth visiting with your four-legged friend.
Bark Central
Bark Central is a 20-acre park in Inverness that features a 15-acre fenced-in off-leash area. There are separate areas for large and small dogs, and if your dog is a swimmer, he will absolutely love the naturally filtered swimming ponds. Throughout the year, there are obedience classes and manners classes held at the park on specific days of the week.
Bluebird Springs Park
There is also a dog-friendly area of Bluebird Springs Park in Homosassa. While not quite as big or elaborate as Bark Central, this county park makes a great change of pace for your puppy, especially if you are already in the area on other pet-related business.
As you can see, Citrus County is a wonderful place to own a pet. Not only is there a place to adopt a new friend and plenty of veterinary options, there are also lots of great options for pet stores, pet grooming, boarding, and even a few dog parks.
If you’ve been giving some thought to adopting a new companion, start out at the top of our list, and by the time you reach the bottom you will have found a brand new best friend.