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Pet mall: It’s reigning cats, dogs and iguanas

A pet-lovers’ heaven is about to open in Korea in the form of a mammoth, 11-story mall offering everything from pet spiders and iguanas to pet fitness centers and, yes, even a pet funeral parlor.
Oh, and let’s not forget a photo studio for those attention-seeking poodles, a hotel for stressed-out snakes, and gourmet food shops for finicky felines.
Although household pets remain rare largely because many Koreans live in tight quarters, the investors think the time is right.
“It’s the biggest one in the orient,” says Shin Hyun-mo, an official with the real estate firm Group & Reform of Korea.
The mall will open in May in Ilsan, Gyeonggi province, about an hour north of Seoul.
Besides the expected cats and dogs, there will be chameleons, caimans, crocodiles and a slew of other amphibians, reptiles, mammals and insects for sale or on display.
For paunchy pets, there will be a pet fitness center on the premises, while a pet recreation center will adorn the roof. A special hospital will be on the premises attending to the urgent medical needs of pets that were purchased at one of the mall’s stores. And if Fido dies, services will be available. The building also contains a quarantine center to create a hygienic environment for both pets and the visitors, and will provide pet clubs with rooms to hold meetings and special events ― on pet-related topics of course.

by Choi Jie-ho

For more information call (031) 912-7300 or visit www.megapet.net