A london community is rallying around a pet store to try and stop it closing its doors after it announced the business was ‘no longer viable’.
As a result, a funding page was created to help get the shop ‘back on its feet’.
Bob Auger, manager of Dogs Dinner Pet and Garden in Leytonstone, posted on the Leytonstone Life Facebook community page that the shop was closing due to lack of trade, reports the East London & West Sussex Guardian.
He posted: “We at Dogs Dinner thank you for all your support in our 14 years at our lovely unique little pet shop. As costs have risen over the years, and the move to internet buying (and we don’t blame anybody for wanting to save money) it’s come to the point our business is no longer viable.
“We will continue to trade until then with limited stock. Once again we thank you for your very much appreciated support, we will miss you all.”
As a result, one customer, Elise Norman, launched an online Gofundme fundraiser (www.gofundme.com/dogs-dinner-pet-and-garden-needs-leytonstone-love).
SADDENED
She wrote: “We’d love to support a local Leytonstone business and help Robert and his long-standing, much loved local shop get back on its feet. The thought of it closing down has saddened many locals who didn’t realise how tough times were – now that we know we’re determined to turn this around – here’s to community spirit and Leytonstone life.”
Bob has managed the 50-year-old shop for 12 years. He said: “When I posted that we were closing, people really rallied behind us and said that they did not want us to close because we are a small pet shop and there are not that many of us left.
“They all got behind us and decided to show their support which was just amazing. We stayed open. I cannot knock the people from the community, they are brilliant. Leytonstone is a really nice place to work and the people are lovely.”
The owners are now giving the business time to remain open to see if it is viable in the long term.
