COVID-19 update

National lockdown January 2021

Shopping for pet food is essential. This means the store is open as usual with normal trading hours, Monday to Sunday with more late nights on top of Thursdays coming very shortly.
We'll reinstate the following priorities from the March 2020 lockdown for you to follow to help protect our teams and other customers
* face coverings must be worn unless proven exemption
* cashless payments preferred
* one family member plus supervised children if they are unable to stay at home
* all customers including children must sanitise their hands on entry
* to maintain a recommended distance around each customer, the store will be limited to 10 customers
Please help us to meet these priorities and together we will get through this coming month. Thank you


Update 30th December 2020

Totton in Tier 4

We are in a tier 4 zone. This means elements of our previous COVID-19 update are now no longer relevant. Some customers may not now be crossing tiers to visit the store for their essential shopping - which makes this similar to all the previous lockdowns.
As as an essential retailer, we will be open as normal. In addition to the legal requirements around face coverings, you are reminded (and will be politely asked if necessary) to please ensure that:
* you and all your family members use the hands-free gel dispenser upon entry (please note it's alcohol for those with allergies)
* children are kept with parents or caregivers at all times and are not touching produce/products
* you and your family members maintain space from other customers and staff members
* ask a Customer Advisor to open packaged products to view or to show you how products work
* touch what is intended to be bought
Please let's get through this one more time. Thank you.




Update 26th December 2020

Travelling between tiers for the purpose of visiting an essential retailer and to maintain pet animal welfare

Previously, during full lockdowns, customers no matter their location (within reason) could visit Healthy Pet Store as being an essential retailer. We are still an essential retailer but the introduction of tiers across this region has somewhat complicated matters.

Following a call today with Hampshire Constabulary, we have been advised that travel between tiers is not unlawful. What could be unlawful is the intent or purpose of leaving the tier and the reasonableness of doing so. For example, it would be unlawful to leave Southampton to visit a holiday home on the Isle of Wight for the purpose of ‘getting away from the city’. However, by way of example, the Police would consider it lawful to go to a supermarket in Fareham (at the time and for the sake of the example, tier 4) whilst living in Gosport (at the time and for the sake of the example, tier 3).

Healthy Pet Store also holds a number of single and novel protein and special dietary foods and we cater for customers with cats and dogs who are maintained on specific diets, often at the request of their veterinary practice. Not being able to buy these foods within a reasonable distance would be considered a welfare issue. The Police therefore advised that we could offer to provide a customer coming from another tier to Totton (tier 3) with an email explaining their need for the journey. Please email info@healthypetstore.co.uk should you need one.

Hampshire Constabulary also wanted to express that their primary remit here is engagement and communication, not necessarily enforcement.

We hope this goes some way to helping our customers outside tier 3 understand under what circumstances they can cross tier boundaries to visit Healthy Pet Store for their dog’s or cat’s specific requirements, or to assess the reasonableness of their journey to the store.

We would always recommend addressing further enquiries to 101, option 4. They have been very helpful in respect of this.