Exotic pets 'R' us

Jesse, who has several pets, is like the Carter brothers when they were young. They had frogs, toads, lizards, fish, guinea pigs, rabbits, turtles, mice and dogs, but no cats, because Chad is allergic. They caught lizards in fields near their West Valley home and tadpoles at the Magna golf course.

"We had nice parents that humored us," Glen Carter said.

When Glen was 16, he drove younger brother Chad around to fish stores at least once a week so Chad could pick out new fish.

By the time Chad was in his early 20s, he had 15 to 20 tanks of fish, which translates into thousands of gallons of water and fish, Glen Carter said.

"He had a room pretty much dedicated to fish," Glen Carter said. The room was the size of most people's living rooms, he added.

When the pet store went up for sale a couple of years ago, Chad said he wanted to buy it because of his love for animals, especially fish, since he was young.

The same love is evident in Jesse, who has three tanks of fish, a rat and a turtle.

"Going to be just like me — started at the same age and everything," Chad Carter said, smiling at Jesse.

"That'll work out good. Don't you think? I can sell you the store?" he asked.

"Yeah," Jesse said.