17 pics of new arrivals at Happy Pets & Aquatics as Walton-le-Dale store introduces small animals

Happy Pets & Aquatics on Hennal Lane, Walton-le-Dale prides itself on being one of the longest standing independent pet stores in the area.

Taking over from Andy’s Pets in 2016, the store is co-owned by couple Maria Enache and Callum Watson.

Ahead of their 10th anniversary at the helm, Happy Pets has recently welcomed some exciting new furry additions.

Small pets can now be purchased at the store for the first time since Covid and part of the shop has been renovated to accommodate them.

Great Eccleston local Callum said: "We've decorated it, made it a little bit more family friendly, and then we've brought the animals back in and all the accessories and everything you need to keep them. We just tried to make it look a little bit more magical through there.

"At the moment in Preston, there's not very many places that sell small animals apart from big chains who often don't have the time or don't give the time that the pets need to be socialized and to be friendly and good with families and kids.”

Happy Pets & Aquatics now stocks small hamsters- both Russian dwarfs and Syrians-, guinea pigs, rabbits, and ”a huge range” of tropical fish and pond fish.

Besides their new lively additions, the store still sells “everything you need for pets”, including accessories and feeds for cats, dogs, fish and their new small animals.

Explaining why residents should give Happy Pets & Aquatics a go, Callum said: “I’ve got experience working for the big chains. I know how they look after their small animals and their fish and the big reason I didn't last particularly long at them is because I really wasn't impressed. I think more time and more space should be given to the animals but obviously big companies don't see it that way.

“It's a time to reward ratio for them so four members of staff need to be earning X amount of money to make it worth their while, whereas for me, I know that in the long run, if customers are really happy with their pets, they'll keep coming back to me. So my maths can be a little bit different, because, yeah, sure, I don't make money today, but over the course of that customer and that pet’s life, I will get them coming back, and the pet will be better for it, because I'll be able to keep trickling in the good advice that makes the animal's life better in the long run.

“If people in Preston want a hamster, we’re always going to be the second choice in your mind but I want to be that alternative so that once they try us, they realise we’re better.”

Take a look at the store’s new look and its adorable new creatures below…