Jollyes Pets, officially opened the doors to its new store at Houndstone, Yeovil in some style provided by the King of Rock n Roll himself.

Customers were greeted by an Elvis look-a-like performing some of the King's biggest hits, including Hound Dog —a nod to the store’s location at Houndstone Retail Park. The set also featured crowd-pleasers such as All Shook Up and the Wonder of You.

The first VIP (Very Important Pet) through the doors was local puppy Duke a boxer cross, who wasted no time sniffing out the natural treats range in store and received a Lifestage goody bag to celebrate being the first paws through the door.

Performing the official red ribbon cutting was Mayor Tony Lock alongside retail and supply chain director David Stokes, members of the Jollyes management and store team, and Jollyes mascot Molly.

Joining them was Ben, a retired prison service dog supported by the National Foundation for Retired Service Animals (NFRSA) – Jollyes’ national charity partner, with handler Mark Stroud.

Ben is a six-year-old black labrador who served with the prison service for nearly five years.

Throughout his service, Ben was often paired with visitors who were nervous around dogs thanks to his calm and gentle nature, helping many to overcome their fears.

Known for his trademark “happy feet” dance whenever he greeted someone, Ben became a much-loved member of the team. Now retired, he has settled into sofa life with ease and will continue to be supported by the NFRSA.

The NFRSA helps support the care, well-being, and welfare of retired service animals from across the emergency service family - the police, fire, border force, National Crime Agency, NHS and prison services.

Visitors enjoyed a day full of fur-tastic fun, including meeting Yeovil FC mascot the Jolly Green Giant. They also had the chance to win prizes on Jollyes’ iconic Wheel of Fur-tune as well as a football game to celebrate the World Cup.

The new store has created seven roles and is run by store manager Jason Freeman. Jason has a cockapoo called Molly and previously had several cats and dachshunds as pets.

Jason said: “We’re delighted to finally open the doors and welcome customers to the new store here in Yeovil.

“It was great to see so many dogs come and see their new pet store, including our first VIP paws through the door - Duke.

“The whole team here is excited to bring their pet expertise and value that’s been making a real difference to pet parents right across the UK.”

Now trading from 123 stores, in April Jollyes released the locations of over 160 towns and cities right across Britain where it would like to open new stores over the next five years, should the right sites become available.

Jollyes next store to open will be at Wyvern Retail Park in Derby (10 July).