BILLINGS — After nearly 30 years, the owner of Exotic Pets, located on Grand Avenue, is looking to sell.
The store has become a staple in the community, running as a pet store for many years before the current owner, Melissa Leiseth, took over.
Leiseth and her mother bought the store decades ago, and the business has flourished for years as family owned. Leiseth said she developed a passion for animals early on, as her family frequently moved during her childhood.
"We lived overseas and we would always move, but the animals always came with us," Leiseth said. "Our friends would come and go, but our dogs and cats were with us our whole lives. So, I know the value of a true friend."
For years, Exotic Pets has provided Billings residents with its own family-owned pet store, not just for traditional pets like cats and dogs, but also more unique ones like snakes, hamsters, rabbits and more.
It was home to the infamous Elvis, a 20-year-old massive python, who passed away in 2011.
"I think it's got a presence of its own," Leiseth said. "It's got its own personality. It's different than everywhere you go."
But 30 years is a long time, and these days, family-owned pet stores like Exotic Pets are hard to find.
"When we opened, there were nine other local pet stores like us," Leiseth said. "Now, we're pretty much the only one left."
ZooMontana Director Jeff Ewelt said that the closed stores are examples of some big changes to the pet industry, such as the growth of online shopping, pet owners being willing to spend more on their animals and some ethical concerns that arose about animal treatment.
"When you can buy things at the comfort of your home and have it delivered, that changes things," Ewelt said. "And then of course, animal rights have never been more advocated for. So, unfortunately, some of these stores weren't run that well. Because of that and the rise of people wanting to get shelter dogs, I think that's led to the demise of these stores."
But those concerns never came into Exotic Pets.
"We just stuck to what made us true," Leiseth said. "Getting healthy puppies to happy people."
Now, reflecting back on the years of work, Leiseth knows how proud her mom would be. She passed away nearly a decade ago, and Leiseth has been running it by herself since.
"She would be happy," Leiseth said. "I feel her in this place every day. I still have things with her handwriting on it. It's pretty special."
Leiseth said she isn't going anywhere until she finds the right buyer. Her ideal suitor is a family that is looking to continue running the business as a pet store, carrying on her and her mother's tradition.
"It's every emotion from excitement that I get to spend more time with my grandchildren, to a lot of sadness that I'm going to walk away," Leiseth said. "But that's okay. I'll come visit."
Finally, for the first time in 30 years, she'll get to visit the animals just like everyone else.
