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Jill - I don’t have a pet, but I shed a ton of thick, curly hair, and my vacuum picks that up well. I think you’ve used my vacuum…it’s the best I’ve ever owned.
It’s a Series 7 Simplicity vacuum. Simplicity being the brand. Most of the parts, i.e. the brushroll, are all metal – unlike the plastic parts in most other vacuums. One has to be careful not to run over the cord or it’ll get torn up. Oh, it’s bagged. I sought a bag vacuum cleaner after hating my bagless.
I got it at Ace Vacuum Center on Dale. For advice and recommendations to meet your specific vacuum needs, stop in and see what they recommend. They have the typical name brands there too.
Additionally, as a wedding gift, Jen & Dave got a vacuum with a specific pet attachment; you can ask them if they like it.

Kristy - Oh, the vacuum search. I have this one and it works well for us. Granted, Doc’s a short-haired cat and couldn’t compare to Miss P in the shedding department, but I’ve seen it suck up quite a bit of accumulated dust/fur (gotta love discovering fur in water heater closet…) with no problem. It’s bagged – one of the few that seems to be left – which I prefer because of the mess the bagless variety usually cause when you empty them. The turbo brush (mine says it’s a pet hair attachment) sounds like a plane taking off when you hook it up and switch to the hose setting, but it definitely is good at cleaning upholstery. The only complaint I have in that the hose itself is pretty short, so the vacuum stays right next to you the entire time you use it.

Oh – and I generally go to Consumer Reports for major appliance reviews, but I discovered in my search that their reviews aren’t always super accurate. I’d recommend reading customer reviews on Amazon and Target’s websites to get more opinions.

Good luck finding one!