Although "Kritters And Fins" has been in Victoria since 1999, many people believed the store focused only on exotics pets.

As of October 31, 2008 a young couple became the new owners of this downtown hide-away pet shop.  The new owners' dream it is to continue to carry exotic pets while expanding it to cater to more common pets.

Some of you might know the store, as lover of exotic animals having once or twice stopped to look through the terrariums and aquariums curious to see what they housed

This odyssey started with Jason’s interest in tarantulas.

At age 23, Jason traded his skateboard for his first tarantula. Since then, he has had over 34 living specimens as roommates. He established the city’s first tarantula club and his passion for these creatures had grown so much that he began holding workshops for different schools over the years. Students and their teachers gathered around Jason and his pets to learn a little bit more about these fascinating creatures. He hosted the Halloween Howl at the Mayfair Mall for 3 years before his partner Mara joined him for 2007's "Howl". They missed 2008’s however as it was held  the very day Jason and his partner Mara; were handed the keys for their new journey: Kritters and Fins.

Pictures of the halloween Howl 2009 soon to come!

We believe this coincidence was destiny calling as it was in this very pet shop where Jason traded-in that skateboard for his first 8-legged love.

The other half of this adventurous duo is Mara. Originally from Buenos Aires, Argentina, she moved to Canada in 2005.

Mara grew up in a family who loves animals. Her father never wanted to own birds or fish because he could not bear depriving them of their freedom.  By age 3 Mara asked for an eagle for her birthday (of course her mom and her dad bought her a dog instead!). Traditionally, because of Mara’s deep love for Animals her parents would take her to a different zoo each birthday. Like some Zoos in Canada; in Argentina most Zoos keep the animals separated by fences in huge habitats that resemble their natural  surroundings as much as possible. By 18 Mara had visited every Zoo in Buenos Aires  and to this day makes a point of visiting the Zoo in every city she visits. Mara spent her last day in Argentina with her family at her favorite Zoo in Lujan where she held a baby lion in her arms! One of the things Mara will never forget!

Anyone who meets Jason and Mara is usually blown away by their home which resembles a private Zoo; a reflection of their passion for all animals.

Our “family” members are: First the tarantulas (Hanna (Phormictopus cancerides), Doug (Lasiodora parahybana) , Rayas (Mexican red knee), Luna (pulcra), Pink Shoes ( obviously a pink toes metallic, lol), Poky (a rose hair) etc). Later on we added 2 corn snakes (Bungee,a candy cane and No Name an okeetee) , a couple of ball pythons (Milka and Sandy), another corn snake albino green (Uncle); a couple of bearded dragons (My Lady & Pig), countless rats and mice, a couple of Ferrets (Muffin and Cookie) ( they have found new families where they are playing all the time) and  the baby corn snakes (there is no way of writing all the names, we have caramels, ghosts, butters, albino, red albino, lavander, aneries, candie canes, creamsicles, motley, strippes...mmm we have like 95 corn snakes at home! We are Registred corn snake breeders :) ), a husky malamute Cozy, (My baby Cozy passed away March 25, 2009...read in Memory of my love one)and less then a week ago; another guest to our home, Spaghetti (corn snake also okeetee but super orange) also a Red Tail Boa (Miboa). 

In middle of 2009, we welcome to our family many other snakes, like our amazing rat snake ..also, we were blessed to spend some time with D.O.S , a wonderful male iguana that we rescued from a very bad home, where he was held in a chicken coup, with wire hurting him badly...D.O.S passed away December 17...and he is greatly missed.

Mara was manager at Scallywags for 3 years and Jason worked at Kritters and Fins for 7 months; with their combined experience and their passion for animals, Jason and Mara will make your visit to the

New “Kritters And Fins Pet Shop" a SUPER experience!

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