Greer’s story and the family legacy behind Smith’s Pets.
Smith’s Pets didn’t start as a business plan or a brand. It started as family graft, long days, shared values, and a genuine love of animals.
Where It All Began – The 1950s
Our roots go back to Stockton Market in the 1950s, where my dad, Bert Smith, ran a pet stall alongside family members.
The pet world was very different back then. There were fewer restrictions, and Dad sold an eclectic mix of animals — from goldfish and tortoises to snakes and everything in between. It was lively, hands-on, and full of character.
Even now, we meet customers who remember buying their very first goldfish, holding a tiny snake, or visiting the old shop on Norton Road near the Buffs Club. One of our favourite family stories involves a friend’s grandad who bought a monkey from Dad, hid it under his bed for a couple of days, and was swiftly made to return it when his mum found out. Those were different times and unforgettable ones.
A chance trip to an auction to buy equipment for making hutches and chicken coops unexpectedly led to a new venture, and in time Everyone’s Stores Ltd was born. Gradually, the original Smith’s Pets faded quietly into the background.
Those years shaped everything Smith’s Pets still stands for today: hard work, honesty, teamwork, and a genuine desire to help customers do right by their animals.
Cath Smith at Billingham Store 2011
In the mid-1990s, Smith’s Pets came back, this time on Stockton Market, and very much as a family affair. Dad was officially retired by then, but still very much involved — always the business brain, always teaching me the trade, and always finding the best deals.
My Auntie Jean, Dad’s sister, was one of the true constants of our story. She had worked with Dad on the original market stall, helped Mam on Stockton Market, and continued to support the business right up until her passing late last year. Even into her nineties, she still popped into Billingham to help weigh stock into smaller bags. Her dedication, work ethic, and quiet loyalty are part of Smith’s Pets in ways that can’t be measured.
Changing Chapters, Same Values
Dad sadly passed away at home in 2001. We kept the market stall going until 2004, when the itch for a new challenge arrived.
I enrolled at Durham University, but a very last-minute opportunity to use space above a shop my brother had bought led to the realisation of a childhood dream — a tack shop. Equisentials opened at the end of 2004, and our days on the market came to an end.
Mam moved from the market into a new pet shop on Mill Lane, Billingham, called PetMania. In 2009, a very quiet college student named Gemma joined Mam on a day placement through Askham Bryan College. Under Mam’s watchful eye, she grew in confidence and skill, eventually becoming a full-time employee. Today, Gemma runs our Billingham store, and many regulars know her as a familiar and trusted face.
Mam retired in 2020 at the age of 79, when Covid became a concern for us. She still misses the shop and especially the customers.
Smith’s Pets Today
By 2022, I was ready for another change. I’d been through some difficult years with Equisentials, and while it had served its purpose, my heart wasn’t in it anymore. I wanted something hands-on again, something people-focused, something that would challenge me.
I never expected that challenge to be another pet shop, but returning to my roots felt right. I wanted to do it in honour of Dad, so there was only one name it could be: Smith’s Pets.
The previous business on our sites had struggled after Covid, but it had one huge strength — the right people. Thankfully, most of the team put their trust in me, and many are still with us today.
Some are family by blood, some by marriage, and others have become like family in the short time I’ve known them. They care deeply about the animals, the business, our customers, and each other — and that’s what truly sets Smith’s Pets apart.
Today we proudly operate two sites:
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Portrack Lane, Stockton — our main store, where the animals are
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Mill Lane, Billingham — where we sell everything you need for pets (no live animals)
Greer Smith – Owner of Smith’s Pets & Asbo
Smith’s Pets is and always will be, a family business, in every sense of the word.
Where Our Story Meets Our Future
Smith’s Pets is more than a shop — or even two. It’s the continuation of a family legacy built by everyone who has helped along the way.
As we grow, we hold tightly to the same values Dad built everything on:
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A genuine love of animals
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Knowledge
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Community
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Kindness
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Honesty
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Hard work
We’re proud of where we’ve come from, excited for where we’re going, and deeply grateful to everyone who has been part of the journey.