A San Jose institution that has sold pet food, supplies and rescue animals since 1950 has a new address, and its glowing neon sign is glowing again. Andy's Pet Shop's grand reopening was scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 12, at its new location at 425 S. Bascom Ave., complete with the shop's original neon sign, featuring a colorful scarlet macaw, restored and reinstalled after decades on display.
A Nearly 70-Year Run Through Several San Jose Addresses
Andy's Pet Shop was originally opened in 1950 by Andy and Geraldine Camilleri, according to The Mercury News. The shop's own website echoes that history, describing the business as locally owned and proudly serving the San Jose community since 1950. Andy's has served the South Bay community and beyond for nearly 70 years, per a separate ABC7 News report detailing the shop's various addresses over the decades.
Co-owner Lissa Shoun took over the business in 2007 and moved the storefront to 51 Notre Dame Avenue in 2010, that report noted. The shop has operated as an all-rescue-pet business since it was purchased in late 2007, with Shoun telling the station, “We've been doing [all-rescue pets] ever since then.” In one especially large rescue effort, Andy's put 1,400 rats up for adoption after the animals were removed from a hoarder's home in Los Angeles.
New Owner, New Storefront, Same Mascot
The shop's website now identifies former employee Jonny Rizo as its new owner. Rizo plans to continue some animal adoption programs, primarily involving reptiles, while also selling plants, the outlet's report on the move states. Baby, a 40-year-old macaw who has been a resident of the store for about a decade, remains the shop's mascot at the new Bascom Avenue location.
At the new storefront, customers can still find pet food and supplies, along with some adoption services, according to the same Mercury News report. The website lists hay, litter, pellets, treats, toys and cages among the supplies on hand, and says the shop keeps live animals in-store, some of which are available for adoption.
A Downtown Development Once Loomed Over the Shop's Future
Before the move, the shop's downtown location had faced pressure from a planned development that could bring a tower with homes, offices and retail to the area, per the earlier ABC7 report. At the time, Shoun said she hoped to delay finding another location for another year or two because of a development backlog, telling the station, “I'm hoping for another year or two before we have to look for another place to move.” That same report described plans for the shop to be recharacterized as a nonprofit adoption center because the owners could not afford animal-care costs and rent, though it's unclear whether that plan was ever carried out or remains current.
