Stitching sustainability into pet fashion

Singapore Polytechnic student entrepreneurs upcycle old clothes and donated fabrics into handmade pet accessories under their label, Pets-R-Us

- Joanne Soh

Their original plan was to start a print-press T-shirt business using recycled fabrics. However, Ms Syahirah Idora Shahrin and Ms Amanda Chua, both 20, soon realised the idea was not unique enough.

So, the Singapore Polytechnic (SP) School of Business students pivoted to a sustainable pet fashion project instead.

Using seed funding of $1,000 from SP's Business Essentials Through Action (BETA) Programme, the pair founded Pets-R-Us, an upcycled pet accessory business.

Ms Syahirah and Ms Chua roped in eight schoolmates, aged 17 to 20, and launched Pets-R-Us in November 2025. Their diverse business-related academic backgrounds, including accountancy, banking and finance, and human resource management, allow them to bring different perspectives and strengths to the team.

"We are all animal lovers, and between us, we have cats and dogs," says Ms Syahirah, the chief operating officer of the business.

Ms Chua says: "Our pets played a big part in inspiring this project because having pets helped us understand what owners look for in comfortable, safe pet apparel."

The pets also double as fashion models, helping to "test the fit and comfort before we offer them to other pet owners", adds Ms Chua, the marketing manager.

"It is also a meaningful way to spend time with them, especially since our school commitments take up much of our day," she says.

Their core rationale for the pet apparel business is rooted in both emotional connection and environmental consciousness.