SAGINAW, MI— During what marks the 50th year in business, a Saginaw Township-based petshop will be shutting its doors for a last time.
Ocean Odyssey, 3100 Boardwalk Dr., has actually been supplying consumers their fluffy, flaky, gilled or feathered animal buddies considering that the mid-1970s, however existing owner Marcia Helmreich said modern-day financial conditions have actually caused more obstacles than the store can deal with.
Helmreich said she took control of the business about 5 years back.
“We came into the place, it was in rough shape and we knew it,” Helmreich. “We still get slammed because of how he was with those animals.”
Helmreich said the store, under brand-new management, had a good quantity of assistance behind it.
“Not everybody (is) glad to see us go,” said Helmreich. “A lot are upset we’re closing. When we took over, it was rough, but we began to turn it around and make it better.”
The owner of the building that Ocean Odyssey is housed in will be trying to find brand-new renters, Helmrich said.
“The economy, the bills have taken us out,” said Helmreich. “I think in the last three months, the electric bill alone has tripled.”
Reflecting on the positives, Helmreich said the store had actually done occasions in the past to help inform regional youth on animals and the care they need. Those occasions, she said, consisted of day care and school sees, along with the most recent occasion held last fall with Merrill Community Schools.
“We brought in a blue-tongued skink and the kids were tasked with designing an appropriately-habituated zoo that could house it and other animals.”
Helmreich said over the 5 years of business, the store has actually been credited with sales of lizards, turtles and tortoises, cats, dogs, guinea pigs, ferrets, hamsters, rats of both the animal and feeder range, bunnies, different birds including-but-not-limited-to parrots, spiders, ranges of freshwater and saltwater fish and other animals classified as non-exotic.
Helmreich said just an extremely little handful of ball pythons, some fish and a tortoise stays. Each of them will be going home with her or her relative up until they can discover good, appropriately-equipped households for them.
“What we’ve got left, that’d be three ball pythons, a white bamboo, a yellow lemon blast and a camouflage-colored pastel mystic,” said Helmreich. “We have slim pickings on them, but we do also have some fish left. Two byshers and some cichlids.”
Helmreich said there is a single sulcata tortoise too that her kid will be real estate.
Those thinking about the staying animals who have suitable ways to look after them can message the Ocean Odyssey Facebook page.
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