Today we’re sharing all about Carl’s Damaged Pet Warehouse—if you’ve heard about it but aren’t sure what it is, how to get there or what to bring, keep reading!
It’s no surprise that kids–young and old–on some level, love seeing and interacting with animals! The East Valley and our surrounding area is richly blessed with so many zoos, farms, aquariums, and other venues that offer opportunities to see all your favorites up close and personal.
However, did you know about the super secret (ok not really, it’s just not talked about enough) FREE absolute gem of a tiny little zoo/animal sanctuary/backyard barn nestled right in the heart of Gilbert?!
Carl’s is the cutest little spot, and here’s all my best tips for your first visit.
Xo,
What Is Carl’s Damaged Pet Warehouse
Located at 2825 E Campbell Rd, Gilbert, AZ 85234
It’s in a residential ranch neighborhood right behind the Southeast Regional Library on Greenfield and Guadalupe which makes this a perfect add-on adventure after Storytime or a trip to get some books.
Carl’s is a privately owned residential property in Gilbert.
The owner, Carl Anderson, has rescued all kinds of farm livestock that he takes care of on his home “hobby farm:”Highland Scottish cows, goats, sheep, miniature donkeys, pot belly pigs, a goose, red slider turtles, and 3 yellow labs and 2 basset hounds.
The animals are all super unique, and they have fun, punny names like Vincent Van Goat and Kevin Bacon.
Carl invites the public to come see and feed his menagerie of critters anytime within reasonable daytime hours completely free of charge.
Simply park your car along the dirt road to the side or the back of Carl’s farm.
Then, he has set up a little station out back where he puts out carrots and pellets in large buckets. Visitors can take a small bucket (also provided by Carl) and fill it with treats to feed the animals along the fence.
Best Tips for Visiting Carl’s with Kids
We visit Carl’s quite often, so we’ve learned a thing or two about how best to enjoy it.
First and foremost, there is little to no shade along the farm. This makes visiting very hard in the blazing Arizona summer months. - There is also almost no seating. There is one picnic table and sometimes a few chairs, but this is definitely a stand up active adventure. The good news is that the dirt road behind the farm is pretty flat and even, so even umbrella strollers would be fine.
- Carl’s farm it’s on a dirt road directly along the canal and there’s no rails, so keep an eye on little ones who could run away and fall in.
- Carl provides a hand washing station with soap, water, and hand sanitizer. Clean hands before and after interacting with the animals to keep both you and the animals safe and healthy.
- Donations are graciously accepted to help with the upkeep of the farm and animals. Again, Carl generously opens up his property to the public and at absolutely no cost. If you are willing and able to support financially, I know he would be so thankful!
Can you feed the animals at Carl’s Damaged Pet Warehouse
You can feed the animals through the fence or just throw it over if you/your child are a little nervous. The cows love to be hand fed and it’s so funny to see them open their mouths wide!
The animals are very docile, and you can tell that you are very accustomed to having visitors and being hand fed. However, they are still animals and little fingers can look like little carrots to them. So, help your kids use caution.
Carl sets out chopped carrots for you to feed the animals, but he allows you to bring certain other foods if you want. (See below) To help keep little fingers safe, we like to bring longer, skinnier veggies with us so that there’s a little more room between our hands and the animals’ mouths. Things like romaine lettuce, longer carrots, broccoli spears, celery stalks, cucumbers, or quartered sweet bell peppers have worked great thus far.
Food Rules at Carl’s Damaged Pet Warehouse
Speaking of bringing your own food, there are some limits to what you can bring.
Here’s what Carl says the animals love:
- Apples
- Bananas
- Broccoli
- Cantaloupe
- Carrots
- Celery
- Cucumbers
- Grapefruit
- All lettuce
- Oranges
- Pears
- Peppers
- Pineapples
- Pumpkin (after Halloween tradition, anyone?!)
- Squash
- Strawberries
- Watermelon
- Zucchini
(Melons can be fed to the cows whole, they love to open them up! Citrus can have the skin on.)
Here’s what Carl says the animals absolutely CANNOT have:
- Anything with a pit (peaches, avocados, etc.)
- Corn cobs
- Raisins/Grapes
- Onions or garlic
- Anything that the dogs could choke on or cause an obstruction
Get in the fun habit of saving your produce scraps throughout the week and then coming to feed the animals.
Follow the Carl’s Damaged Pet Warehouse Facebook page to share the love with other fans. Carl himself is also fairly active on the pages and gives information, updates, and answers your questions. He also comes out to talk with visitors quite often, so never hesitate to say “Hello!” and ask him all about his precious babies!
Carl’s is such a unique treasure here in the Valley. It’s fun, it’s free, and it really is fantastic! If you’re looking for more FREE fun, be sure to visit our free family events calendar where we share only free local events for kids and parents!
