BRANCHING OUT The Pet Safari hopes to have a vet and dog trainer, too.

By Andre Yeo

When you shop in the air-conditioned complex, you can bring Sylvester or Rover along.

The Pet Safari, which opened last Wednesday at Eastpoint Mall in Simei, is Singapore's first retail outlet where you can shop with your pet.

Occupying 10,626 sq ft, it is a combination of a large pet store and a retail outlet featuring 12 tenants. Pets for sale include dogs, cats, chinchillas, birds and tropical fish Merchandise range from animal accessories to children's ware and commemorative muga and T-shirts.

The Safari is managed by Pet Lovers Centre, which has been in the pet care business since 1973.

Eastpoint Mall's general manager, Tom Teo, 35, said it was repositioning itself as a one-stop lifestyle shopping center.

Wet market
With music, electrical and food outlets already there, they felt that pet services should also be provided as more Singaporean were keeping pets. They approached Pet Lovers Centre last year about the venture.

Said Mr. Teo :"We want to differentiate ourselves from other shopping centers by giving shoppers and entertaining and educational experience. We now enter not just to people's needs but animals' as well."

The space was previously occupied by NTUC FairPrice's wet market, which has since moved to the basement.

At the Safari, shoppers and their pets walk through a surreal air-conditioned jungle environment with leaves hanging from ceilings and tree trunks in stalls.

Dog owners must leash their canines and only well-trained ones are allowed in Large dogs must also be muzzled as a safety precaution.

All pet owners have to clean up after their animals and they must ensure that their pets are free of ticks and fleas.

Poles will be installed at stalls so shoppers can "park" their pets when they shop. Staff will look after the animals while shoppers are browsing.

Novel concept
Pet Lovers Centre's chief operating officer, Ng Whye Hoe, 27, was confident the Safari would be a hit because of the novel concept. It has already received inquiries from child care centers about conducting excursions there.

Mr. Ng's company which has six other branches, spent more than $500,000 on renovations, installing a special ventilation system and ionisers to remove any foul smell!

He added that they took pain to ensure that the animals were comfortable and relaxed so they would not fall ill. Rabbits are kept in glass tanks instead of cages and some of the chinchillas have already mated in their glass enclosure.

Said Mr. Ng : "We want the Safari to be a place where pets can socialise with one another and shop with their owners. We also hope it would educate the public about respecting animals."

The Safari is still in the midst of being set up and would be fully operational by October 9. Shoppers can look forward to a 3.6-m long landscaped aquarium and a cybercafe.

Mr. Ng said they hoped to have a resident vet by next year and a dog trainer to conduct classes for shoppers.

Karen Briscoe, 26, took her white Siberian Husky to the Safari on Monday and said that she had been waiting for a place like that for a long time.

She said :"I get to do my shopping and he gets to go for a walk. It saves me time as I don't have to bring him out again."