Animal antics: National pet care company Animates to open store in Whangārei

National animal care company Animates will open in the old Toyota site, above, in Carruth St, Whangārei, soon.

National animal care company Animates is making a move into Whangārei and bringing with it a DIY dog-wash facility.

Animates regional marketing manager Sarah Sleeman said Animates would open a store in Whangārei, which would be located on Carruth St.

The store is understood to be on the site of the former Toyota building, opposite Pak'nSave.

Sleeman said building would start in the coming months, and the store would open later in the year. The store would provide some new jobs, but the company would not say how many, at this stage.

"We are really excited to bring this pet parent destination to life for Whangārei. Animates is a New Zealand-operated company, and has been in operation for nearly 23 years now. We started in 1996 in Christchurch and we have been growing ever since, bringing the best products, advice and services to local pet parents."

She said there would be a "significant investment" to tailor the building to accommodate the new store, along with a grooming salon and DIY dog-wash facility.

"We will have a number of roles for Whangārei locals. This will include store management team, inventory management, sales and groomers. We will start recruiting in a few months time, and will advertise the roles on the careers page on the Animates website."

The closest Animates store to Whangārei is in Silverdale, north of Auckland. It features a DIY dog wash, pet adoptions and a vet service.

According to the Animates website, the business provides supplies, products, care, advice and services for pets including dogs, cats, birds, reptiles, fish, rabbits and other small pets. It states all leashed pets are welcome at Animates.

The former Toyota building is undergoing a refurbishment, and asbestos-removal signs are visible around the site.

The two-storey 1600sq m building, which comprises a workshop space, parts store, offices and showroom, as well as a vehicle wash area and grooming room, has been largely unused since July 2014 when Toyota relocated.