Pet shop joys

EVERY four to six weeks, financial adviser Karan Teo travels from her home in the Upper East Coast area to boutique pet hotel BreakFast At Fluffy’s in Singapore’s Joo Chiat Road.

“I groom my Pomeranian there, and when I’m overseas, she boards there. After grooming, we always go to The Barkery a few doors down to buy freshly made pet food. Sometimes, we walk around to check out some of the shops where you can buy pet food, toys and stuff like that,” says Teo, who also has an eight-year-old Singapore Special.

Stroll along Joo Chiat Road on a weekend and it is not uncommon to see “pawrents” walking their dogs or having brunch at a cafe’s outdoor area while their prized pets laze on the floor or stare curiously at passers-by from a chair.

After all, the area’s charm lies in its ability to blend heritage with the hip, where old-school hardware and furniture shops stand cheek-by-jowl with trendy coffee bars and sleek boutiques.

What is unusual, though, is how many pet-related businesses have sprung up along that one road in the past five years.

The Straits Times counted over 30 such shops in the stretch of Joo Chiat Road from East Coast Road to just before Joo Chiat Complex.

At least eight establishments in Joo Chiat Road offer animals for sale, while five businesses have boarding facilities for dogs and one caters to cats. Pet-care services range from doggie enrichment classes and daycare to swimming and veterinary services.

Deborah Rowe, who lives in Katong and owns a cavapoochon (a cavapoo and bichon mix), has taken full advantage of the suite of pet services found in Joo Chiat Road.

“On our daily walks, we stop by pet shop Heads Up For Tails, where my dog, Bailey, can run around off-leash and interact with other dogs. His groomer, Dapper Dogs, is just a few minutes away,” says the managing director of a public relations company.

“I’ve also taken him swimming at Mutts & Mittens, and when he wasn’t feeling well recently, I could take him to a nearby vet at short notice. All these places are within a 10-minute radius, which is incredibly convenient.”

Soo Ming Hui, founder of The Dog Grocer, a sustainable pet food retailer that set up shop there almost six years ago, says: “There’s something special about this neighbourhood: the heritage shophouses, the slower pace, the way people pause, look around and wander.

“Joo Chiat has a kind of warmth and personality that you don’t find everywhere and I felt connected to that from the start.

“It’s been really special to watch the area evolve into a kind of ‘pet hangout’ where people come not just to run errands, but to also spend time with their dogs and enjoy the community.

“Over the years, more customers have been telling us that they actually make a day out of coming to Joo Chiat – and it’s been amazing to be part of that growth from the early days.”

Edmond Wong, chairman of the Katong-Joo Chiat Business Association, says: “There is a sense of the kampung spirit here where everyone, including our four-legged friends, is welcome.

“Ultimately, this trend has enlivened the streets of Joo Chiat. It encourages our visitors to slow down, stay a little longer, and explore more of what we have to offer.”

Beyond food and beverage outlets, which since Jan 1 have been able to allow pets in their outdoor areas without converting to a pet cafe, some other Joo Chiat Road establishments also welcome furry friends.

Kenneth Tan, founder and owner of Wasuka Art, says pet owners sometimes ask if they can bring their pets into his gallery, which is on the second floor of a shophouse. Tan, who has two dogs of his own which sometimes come over on weekdays, warmly ushers them in.

“My bulldog, Freddy, is a real distraction because people come in for the art, but they get so interested in him that they forget what the visit was about,” he says.

He makes it a point to disinfect the gallery regularly and recognises that not all customers are so enamoured of animals.

“I do hope that people respect other patrons who may be afraid of dogs for religious or other reasons,” he says.

More choices, more competition

One of the newest pet-care players on the street is GoGo Wash, a 24-hour self-service dog wash near the junction of Joo Chiat Road and Joo Chiat Place that opened in August.

The 900 sq ft premises holds two dog-washing bays and an adjustable dog grooming station, as well as vending machines that provide pet grooming tools, treats, over-the-counter medication and pet ice cream.

Julius Lim, and his co-founders Elton Wang and Luke Wang, who run various businesses, started GoGo Wash out of their frustrations as dog owners. It was difficult to fix grooming appointments, which are also expensive and time-consuming.

GoGo Wash sees about six to eight customers a day and is busiest on weekends from 3pm to 8pm, although Lim says it has had owners washing their dogs in the wee hours of the night as well.

Another relatively new entrant, Inugoya, opened in August 2024 and offers doggie daycare, boarding and grooming services.

Co-founder Tracen Ying says: “Joo Chiat Road was a natural choice. It’s a vibrant neighbourhood of heritage and lifestyle brands, with a strong community of pet-loving families. The shophouse architecture also allowed us to design an intimate, boutique setting that is a beautiful, cosy home away from home for furkids.”

His partners – Bevan Ang and Derek Koh – oversee operations.

Most of its customers are young working professionals, couples and families who live in the East Coast area, although some travel from the north and west of Singapore too.

Ying and his partners are exploring new enrichment programmes and looking to expand the premises in 2026.

Reputation and service still matter

The more established pet businesses there welcome the new players and seem unfazed by the competition.

One of the oldest on the street is The Barkery Singapore, which opened there almost 10 years ago after moving from several other locations in the East Coast area.

Sisters Elizabeth Heng and Margaret Alphonso started their business as an online shop after the latter’s sickly golden retriever thrived under Heng’s homemade pet bakes.

Alphonso has since retired, and Heng now runs the dog bakery with her daughter, Ann Marie Chua. Customers come from all over the island and overseas fans also drop in for doggie bags when they are in town, according to Chua.

Grooming salon The Pampered Pet Corner, which has been operating since 1997, moved into its 980 sq ft Joo Chiat Road shop in 2012. Co-founder Audrey Tan says she is proud to have contributed to the street’s evolution as a pet hub.

“Each grooming salon works with a different concept and the majority of our clientele have been using our services for a very long time,” she says of the competition.

Elaine Ng, founder of BreakFast At Fluffy’s, says its distinctive decor, inspired by a New York City Tiffany & Co boutique, and full-glass frontage made it stand out from the heritage shophouses and cafes when it opened in 2019.

Her pet hotel’s luxury concept, where dogs 15kg and below could roam freely and not be caged up, just like at home, was a novel concept then.

“Our focus has always been on staying a step ahead in standards and service, and we’re conscious that we need to set a high bar for newcomers to the area,” says Ng.

Teo also believes that while more choices in that area is a good thing for consumers, sustainability may be tough for some pet businesses.

“When we put our pets somewhere for grooming and boarding, we want them to be in safe hands, especially since there have been more incidents of negligence recently. In this line of business, reputation and referrals are important,” she says.

Rowe notes that some boarding rates in Joo Chiat Road have increased by almost 20% in the last year. “With so many options, you’d expect prices to be lower and more competitive, but it feels like they’ve gone up instead,” she says.

“Businesses mustn’t take demand in this area for granted. Pet owners are more discerning now and safety, transparency and quality really matter.” — Straits Times/ANN