Remembering happy times at pet shops in Hartlepool or East Durham over the years

There were some great ones in town and that’s what we are reminiscing on today. All these pet shops made the news, starting with Walton’s which was in York Road.

In 2018, Hartlepool Mail readers chose it in their top 20 of former shops which they would like to see return to the town.

We asked for your memories of it in 2017 and you had plenty to say in that story 5 years ago.

Some of you remembered getting 2p dog chews and others recalled the Saturdays when they would spend ages wandering around the different stands.

There were some of you who remembered the days when there was a mynah bird to greet you when you first walked in.

Talking of mynah birds, perhaps you remember Foster and Armstrong’s Murray Street shop. It was certainly in the news in 1974.

Who remembers when a mynah bird called Joey escaped from his home and found himself lost, so he headed for the perfect place for help - the Murray Street pet shop.

A passer-by picked him up and handed him in at the shop where he was soon kitted out with a temporary cage as well as food and water.

Hartlepool’s RSPCA Chief Inspector Alan Orritt said at the time that Joey was talking well and whistling his favourite popular song, “Never on Sunday”.

Joey was also an expert at imitating a dog’s growl.

Another pet shop which got the headlines was Stranton Pets in 2011. Back then, there was a popular trend for snakes and reptiles as pets.

The shop’s co-owner Mavis Austin, told us at the time that reptiles were very popular in the town.

“We do sell a lot of reptiles and we have a lot of people coming in and buying food for their reptiles, ” said Mavis back in 2011.

We know that there were plenty of others which we have not mentioned in this feature but that’s where you come in.

Which was your favourite pet shop over the years? Was it one of those that we highlighted or is there another which deserves the spotlight? Tell us more by emailing chris.cordner@jpimedia.co.uk

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