Nationwide pet retailer Jollyes will open its new store in Scunthorpe on Saturday and will be teaming up with Jerry Green Dog Rescue to raise funds for the charity’s vital work in North Lincolnshire.

Jerry Green Dog Rescue will be fundraising at the store over its opening weekend giving customers the chance to sponsor a kennel, take part in their fundraiser ’60 Miles in May’, spin their Wheel of ‘Fur-tune’ for prizes and on-hand to offer doggy puppichinos to pets.

But that’s not all that’s planned at the store’s formal grand opening in Unit A2 at Scunthorpe’s Gallagher Retail Park on Doncaster Road.

Scunthorpe will be first Jollyes to get a new-look Jolly Groomer as part of a £1million investment in the roll out of vet clinics, grooming parlours and other pet services.

Alongside Jerry Green Dog Rescue’s ‘Ambassadogs who’ll bite through a string of sausages, assisting the opening will be United mascots ‘Scunny Bunny’ and Scunny Hunny Bunny, who’ll declare the store open by running through bales of hay.

The Scunthorpe United bunny mascots will be at home as the store will be offering a selection of small animals such as rabbits and guinea pigs as well as birds, fish and reptiles.

Local community station Steel FM will also provide the entertainment offering the scruffiest dog to turn up on the day a free wash in Jollyes new first ‘Wash & Go’ dog-wash booths which for just £5.00 can provide a full clean-up for mucky pups without the hassle of messing up a home bathroom.

A face painter and stilt walkers will round off the entertainment.

Between now and the summer of 2024, Jollyes plans will double the number of stores that offer community pet clinics, double opening hours for those clinics double the number of dog grooming locations at stores like Scunthorpe.

Vet-supervised dog and cat vaccinations in the clinic will start at just £14 and £13 for rabbits with primary course jabs for dogs and cats at £33. 

Microchipping, already compulsory for dogs and now in new government plans extended to be compulsory for cats, start at just £13, offering significant savings against average prices charged by formal vet practices.

The Jolly Groomer at Scunthorpe will offer straightforward pricing for a quality groom that doesn’t cost a paw and a leg.

Customers can choose precisely what grooming service they need, so they don’t pay for ones they don’t. Prices for a bath and brush will start at just £15.00. 

Jollyes new Scunthorpe store will also provide pet parents in North Lincolnshire and nearby South Yorkshire access to Jollyes’ raw food frozen ‘shop-in-shop’ alongside high quality private label pet food such as its own Lifestage, K9 and Rileys brands which offer a premium experience without the big brand price tag.

“We’ve started work today getting the store ready for opening later in the week.” said regional manager Kerry Midgely.

“We plan to open our doors on Friday 24 March for the first time and then have our formal grand opening at 10.15am on Saturday 25 March.

“We can’t wait to show off our flagship store.”

Jollyes’ in Scunthorpe will be managed by Steve Marshall, the proud dog dad of Sandy who joins Jollyes after five years at Morrisons.  The Jolly Groomer will be managed by Chloe Metcalfe who looks after her sister’s dogs Bella and Bailey and joins the store after four years as a carer.

Amber Satterthwaite, Community Fundraiser for Jerry Green Dog Rescue says: “For over 60 years Jerry Green Dog Rescue has rescued, cared for and rehomed over 40,000 dogs in need of a second chance. With three centres across Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire as well as a community outreach programme in East Yorkshire, we continue to provide a safe place for homeless dogs and to seek new loving places for them to live.

“We are delighted to be working with Jollyes and look forward to seeing you on Saturday 25th March 2023. We hope you can come along, have some fun and help us raise some pounds for our pouches. Your support will help us transform the lives of rescue dogs in need of care.”

The opening of the new Scunthorpe store is part of Jollyes’ ambitious expansion plans which will see it hit £100 million turnover in FY2023, employ 1,000 colleagues this year and have 100 stores within 18 months.