Controversial Meriden Mall Pet Shop finally closes
This week, a controversial pet shop located in the Meriden Mall has finally closed its doors for good. The Gentle Jungle was a staple of the mall for several years and was known for selling pups, kittens, and other pets. Back in 2016, it caused controversy after a Change petition labeled it as a puppy mill. The petition gained over 2,100 signatures and accused the shop of abusing dogs. Despite these allegations, the shop continued until early this week. Despite this, the Gentle Jungle website is still fully functional, for now at least.
It is believed that the location finally closed due to the owner retiring, rather than being shut down by authorities. This was confirmed on the Instagram page that shared a short video.
Irrespective of your thoughts on the shop, it’s fair to say that Meriden Mall has struggled in recent times and doesn’t have the customer base that it once did. For many decades it was viewed as one of the best malls in Connecticut. However, like many malls across the country, its pull has declined significantly in recent years.
Because of this, it is not yet known what will replace the site formerly used by Gentle Jungle. However, due to the large square foot space of the site, it may struggle to find a new business to fill the spot.
