The former owner of Marston-based pet shop Pads and Paws has given his lease to a hospice charity but will continue to run the site, according to local paper the Oxford Mail.
Sean Woodward reportedly made the move after witnessing the work Sobell House Hospice does “first-hand”, later asking the charity if it would accept the lease to open a new hospice shop.
Sobell House accepted the offer, and Woodward is now acting manager of the site.
The repurposed store opened two weeks ago and still provides pet essentials, such as dog food.
Woodward told the local paper that due to his “loyal customer base”, the charity has agreed to continue stocking pet goods.
James Dyson, head of retail for Sobell House, said: “We are delighted to have opened our Marston Shop. We are in uncertain times with Covid-19, but the need for hospice care in Oxfordshire doesn’t stop, and neither can we.
“By opening new shops in new areas, we are giving more people the opportunity to donate or buy items to support Sobell House.”
The hospice is jointly funded by the NHS and Sobell House Hospice Charity, and has been providing end-of-life and palliative care since 1976.
