An independent pet store in Yorkshire launched last December has grown so quickly it has now moved to a larger unit double the size of its previous premises.

Yorkshire Feed & Country Store in Sowerby, Thirsk, has also created eight jobs in the process. 

Matt Wright, who owns the business with Jason Smallridge, said: “We have always had to travel further afield to get what we needed for our own animals, and identified a gap in the market for a sort of ‘one stop shop’ here in Thirsk. Unlike many big brand name equivalents, our focus is on animal welfare and making sure our customers are confident in making informed purchases, rather than the bottom line.

“We’re adding products and services that we ourselves want and use, and also that our customers are asking for – it’s all about making it easy to have happy, healthy animals.”

The company recently launched a small animal boarding service, enabling customers to take holiday or spend time away from home safe in the knowledge that their animals are being looked after by an experienced team, and also ran a canine first aid course to teach dog owners the essentials.

They plan to launch a grooming service in the coming months and open a second store based on the same model.

Both Matt and Jason are experienced animal owners with a background in agriculture.