By Cheryl Lim

DOG owners can look forward to a shopping mall in Serangoon Central by the end of next year with a dedicated playground for dogs, where pets can frolic for free.

The 185-sq m rooftop dog park at nex is the first dog playground in a mall here that comes with equipment such as a dog track for running, highjump bars, tyre hoops and exercise slides.

It provides an off-leash environment for dogs to play and exercise in under the supervision of their owners.

Dog owners can take their canine friends to the park using designated lifts in the mall or an escalator on the exterior of nex. Dogs have to be leashed until they reach the dog park, and are prohibited from visiting other parts of the mall.

nex will be the largest shopping mall in north-eastern Singapore, with 55,741 sq m of space. More than 70 per cent of the space has been taken up.

The mall hopes to establish a group of loyal customers among dog owners who live in the vicinity, said a spokesman for Guthrie Consultancy Services, which provides project consultancy and marketing for nex.

He said: "There is a large catchment of condominium and landed-property residents ...many of whom own pets. It is also common to see Housing Board dwellers owning pets."

The mall is near the private housing estates of Braddell and Serangoon Gardens, and Serangoon HDB estate.

Mrs Jamie Lim, 55, a dog owner who lives in Upper Serangoon Road, said: "This is a great idea. Now, my daughter can take our labrador, Max, to play while I do my grocery shopping there."

The idea came about when pet retail chain Pet Lovers Centre's managing director, Mr Ng Whay Hoe, brainstormed with executives of Gold Ridge, nex's developer, on how to make the mall pet-friendly.

Pet Lovers Centre will open a branch of Pet Safari - a store offering pet food, accessories and veterinary services - in a doublestorey unit of over 464 sq m in nex.

Mr Ng said: "Singaporeans like to converge in malls on weekends. It's our lifestyle. Pet owners are no different. They, too, have families, so the idea was to allow for spaces for familydog interaction."

Besides nex, two other malls here - Eastpoint and VivoCity - have dog-dedicated spaces. Both are run by Pet Lovers Centre, which also runs Pet Safari stores in both malls.

The one in VivoCity trains more than 100 dogs monthly at its obedience-training school.

Pet Lovers Centre also holds an annual Christmas party in the VivoCity space for underprivileged dogs that live in shelters and pet dogs. The dogs are treated to food and party favours.

cheryll@sph.com.sg

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