Jollyes has confirmed that the official opening of its Merthyr Tydfil store will take place on Saturday, August 12, at 10am.

The store, at Triangle Business Park Road in Pentrebach, is set to become the first store in the UK opened by Dreygo, a dragon with a huge 15-feet wingspan and smoke-breathing nostrils.

Joining Dreygo will be civic guests from Merthyr County Borough Council – new Mayor Councillor Malcolm Colbran and regeneration cabinet member Michelle Symonds and her dog Milo, who’ll declare the store open by biting through a string of sausages.

The store, number 93 for Jollyes in the UK, and its fourth store in Wales, will be a flagship location for the pet retailer.

The store will be one of the first in the UK to get both a new-look Community Pet Clinic and ‘Jolly Groomer’, part of a £1 million investment over the next 18 months to supercharge Jollyes’ provision of vet clinics, grooming parlours and other pet services in its UK stores.

The new Merthyr store and its team of 12 will be led by Sadie Rawlings, who will move over to Pentrebach after overseeing the launch of Jollyes in Llanelli last December.

Regional manager Sam Wells said: “We’re starting work on Monday, August 7, to get the store ready to welcome Dreygo, Milo and the pet parents of Merthyr later this month.

“We’re thrilled that Pentrebach will be our fourth location in Wales, and we’re looking forward to bringing the kind of value and service that’s already available at Wrexham, Llanelli and Flint to Merthyr.”