The one-stop shop for all animal lovers and owners.
Sorry to start this profile like one of our badly written Business Studies articles we conjured up in-between games of FIFA in our younger years (just be thankful we don’t have to use Harvard referencing, whatever that was) but in 2018 it was estimated pet owners spent a combined whopping £24.5 billion on dogs and £9.6 billion on cats. That’s a lot of Dreamies and Schmackos (other brands are available). With that in mind, it can be assumed people love their pets and now there’s a one-stop shop for all animal lovers and owners.
The building Pet’s Corner calls home, on Allerton Road (which is just opposite the library) has been a pet shop for over 50 years. Pat and Barry, husband and wife duo, owned and opened the aptly named “Pet Shop” in the 1960’s. Despite the free-love and psychedelic drugs of the swinging 60’s, we quite like the efficiency of the name. And they stayed owners until 15 months ago, well into their 70’s until Elaine Saleh (no relation to Mo) took over. Quite bizarrely she worked for an architect firm before this so, it wasn’t the natural career switch you’d expect but she visited the shop often as a kid and is a lover of all animals.
Allerton Road has always been a favourite place of ours. There’s cocktail bars, monthly farmers markets, coffee shops, restaurants, fruit and veg shops, bakers, gift shops and probably the best butcher’s baguettes in the world. Happily quote us on that. So with a lick of paint, a brand new name and a lot of hard work, Pets Corner became a lovely little shop to serve the local community. It’s wonderful when you see buildings, leases and keys passed over to people but the concept remains the same and Elaine has done a fantastic job.
As well as buying all your food, toys, treats and more there’s also a dog grooming service so your pooch can get a pre-Caldies Park curly blow whilst you have a cappuccino. Not only that, Elaine recently opened a doggy cafe. Hot drinks, slices of cake and you don’t have to leave your best mate at home – what’s not to love? Despite the modern facade, IKEA flat pack furniture and flat whites on offer, there’s something very Olde Worlde about Pets Corner. Independent pet shops are a rarity that should be rejoiced in and Elaine is a lovely woman who deserves all your support.