Best Pet Shop in England

Extract from the Yorkshire Evening Post

Dale Briggs has every reason to smile - he is the owner of the best pet shop in England.

His family business, Paws for Thought in Leeds, took first place in a survey gauging the quality of care given to animals in stores around the country.

Undercover inspectors from consumer standards magazine Which? scoured the country with the aim of naming and shaming those keeping our animal friends in poor conditions.

But after visiting the York Road store they were so impressed by the high standards maintained by Mr Briggs that his was the only pet shop in England to be named Excellent.

"I was absolutely amazed." said Mr Briggs. "The first I knew we had taken first place was when customers started coming in to the store and congratulating us.

"We had to phone up the magazine to find out we had taken top place, and it was only then that we found out that inspectors had been in the shop to assess the conditions we kept the animals in."

The publication dispatched two vets to view shops up and down the country following growing concerns about the care given to creatures kept behind bars and glass.

Mr Briggs said: "I am particularly proud of this award because it shows that we really do care about the animals we have here."