nex mall to have roof garden dog run

nex, the mall which is being built next to Serangoon MRT Station, will have a dog run – the first in a shopping centre here.

The 2,000 sq ft run will be on the roof garden at the fourth level. ‘We hope that with the introduction of a designated dog area at nex, perhaps we can attract a new group of regular mall visitors who are pet lovers,’ says Tong Kok Wing, general manager of Guthrie Consultancy Services, which is providing project consultancy and marketing for nex.

The run has been set aside for dogs to exercise and play in an off-leash environment under the supervision of their owners. ‘Under guidelines stipulated by the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA), certain breeds of dogs must be muzzled and the same will apply here,’ a Guthrie spokeswoman said.

To visit the dog run, dog owners and their pets will have to use designated lifts in the mall or escalators outside. Dogs will not be allowed in other parts of the mall.

A Pet Safari store will be on the same level as the dog park. The store, operated by Pet Lovers Centre – one of Singapore’s largest pet food retailers – will occupy more than 5,000 sq ft in a double-storey unit. It will offer pet food, accessories, veterinary services and pets for sale.

So far, more than 70 per cent of retail space at nex has been committed. Anchor tenants include Challenger, rivals Fairprice Xtra and Cold Storage, Courts, Isetan, Shaw Cineplex, Food Republic and Food Junction. The mall is being developed at an estimated cost of $1.3 billion and is slated to be completed by end-2010.

Other places in Singapore where there are dog runs include West Coast Park, Bishan Park and Pasir Ris Farmway.

Source: Business Times, 10 Nov 2009