IN THE early 90s Davao, Victoria Plaza (now NCCC VP Mall) was THE place to be – whether for shopping, dining, watching movies and shows by the fountain, renting out laser discs, having film photos developed, and buying pets and pet accessories. Of course, when it comes to the latter, there can only be one : PetCo. For many Dabawenyos, PetCo was a destination in itself, being the first full fledged pet shop inside Davao’s first mall.
Fast forward to 2022, the humble pet shop that Wilson Bangayan established is now rebranded as Pet Zoofari, the “largest, grandest, and most complete pet depot” in Mindanao, located along JP Laurel Avenue.
“Back then, I was doing everything from packing to pricing to doing the aquarium set up and going to the airport early in the morning to pick up the animals,” said Bangayan.
During the program, he passed the baton to his son, Christopher, who is now the CEO.
Built using four container vans, Pet Zoofari is a 400 square meter space that houses almost everything pet essential, whether they’re two or four legged, furry, feathered, or finned. It also has a drive-thru and delivery services – another first for Mindanao.
The store officially opened to the public last Friday, July 15, with a ribbon cutting ceremony led by the father and son Bangayan along with Gene Bangayan, Cathy Bangayan, Eduardo Bangayan and Architect Mike Dakudao.
The rainforest-themed with a safari vibe pet shop is packed with racks filled with pet food, accessories, toys, clothes, cots, decors, medicine and supplements, among others.
Of course, they sell all sorts of pets, from various species species of fish, birds, reptiles, cats, dogs, and even chicken. Right at the center of the store, they provided a large fenced play area where customers can interact and determine which pet cat or dog they can form a bond with.
