Pet shops shut as 'no longer viable'

EMPLOYEES SUPPORTED AFTER CLOSURES

- By WILLIAM TELFORD

TWO Plymouth pet shops have closed because they were no longer financially viable. The large Pet Express outlet in Union Street and the Mad About Paws store at Roborough have both been shuttered with staff losing their jobs.

The company The Pet Express Ltd, which ran the two outlets, is also on the verge of liquidation and creditors are due to meet company bosses next week. Customers are being urged to visit two “sister” stores: The Ark outlets in Transit Way and Plymstock.

Both of those companies, and the online Pet Express business, are part of a separate company and unaffected by the imminent winding up of The Pet Express Ltd. Emma Smith, a director of The Pet Express Ltd, said she was saddened by the closures but finances meant it was unavoidable.