The Smith family have served generations of pet owners
07:35, 27 Jul 2025Updated 08:28, 27 Jul 2025
Terry Smith and Orla Scanlan of Pet Needs in Liscard(Image: Photo by Iain Watts)
A popular Merseyside pet shop that has served customers on the same street for over 60 years is set to close its doors. Located on Liscard Crescent in Liscard, Wirral, Pet Needs first opened back in 1964 and has welcomed generations of animal lovers – but its history goes back much further.
For years, husband-and-wife Terry Smith and Orla Scanlan have been at the heart of the business, but it was back in the 1930s that Terry’s grandad, Cyril Smith, opened the family’s first ever pet shop, also converting an old war ambulance to use as a delivery van. After leaving school, Terry’s dad Ron joined the business, before going on to open his own store, Pet Needs, which has operated on Liscard Crescent ever since.
Growing up around the popular pet shop, by the 1980s Terry and his brother Dave joined the business, following in both their grandad and dad’s footsteps. But now after 61 years welcoming many customers and pets, Pet Needs will officially close its doors on Thursday, July 31.
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Owner Terry, age 61, said it has been an emotional decision, but he feels now is the right time to retire. As part of the Liverpool ECHO’s How It Used To Be series, we visited Pet Needs in its last week trading to hear more about the history of the shop and memories from across the decades.
Terry, originally from, Rock Ferry, told the ECHO: “My grandad started off in the early 1930s in Woodchurch Lane in Birkenhead and then they moved to Prenton Road West, so they were just opposite Tranmere’s ground. My dad and his two brothers used to work in the shop and then later on one of his brothers opened a pet shop in Bedford Road and my dad opened this shop in around 1964.
A van owned by Terry Smith’s grandad Cyril in the 1930s(Image: Photo courtesy of Pet Needs)
“It’s been in the family for 60 years and it’s always been a well-supported shop. I think it’s probably one of the oldest shops in the Liscard or Wallasey area.
“One of my brothers worked in this shop with me for quite a long time and then he decided that he would like to try something else, so I then carried on with my dad. I lost my dad 20 years ago and he was involved in the shop all his life.
“Even when he was in his 70s, he came over to the shop and helped out and still did the book work. Latterly on my own or with Orla, it’s always been in the family.
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“We’ve always enjoyed it. There’s always a story to tell at the end of every day.”
Terry has fond memories helping out at Pet Needs as a child, as well the family “talking shop” at Christmas time and one animal that’s still talked about by customers today. Terry said: “It was just an Aladdin’s cave and very busy.
“I always enjoyed it and there was always lots to do, lots going on. I would come over on a Saturday and help out with weighing up and we would have sold a lot more weighing up in those days.
The original shop front of Pet Needs in Liscard from 1964(Image: Photo courtesy of Dorothy Chambers)
“My neighbour and I would be upstairs doing weighing up, counting out dog chews, doing odd jobs. I remember at Christmas time in my grandad’s, there would have been about 15 of us crammed into this little room.
“There’d be a little Christmas tree and we’d be all exchanging presents and talking shop. There were bags of animal food that all the kids would sit on.
“One thing people still talk about is the Mynah bird. My dad was a smoker and he would mimic my dad’s cough, but he would also say hello and he could wolf whistle.
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“People would come in just to see the Mynah bird and say hello. One day this fella came into the shop and he offered my dad out in a fight.
“He said every time my wife walks past this shop, you’re wolf whistling at her. Dad just said I’m awful sorry, it’s not me, I don’t know your wife – and it was actually the Mynah bird doing it.”
For years, Pet Needs has continued to provide a personalised local service, including home delivery and today sells everything from hamsters and budgies to various pet food, accessories and more. Overtime, the business has continued to adapt, from changes to shopping habits and customers needs to national and online competitors. Terry said: “There’s been huge changes.
Terry Smith and Orla Scanlan, inside Pet Needs in 2006(Image: Photo courtesy of Pet Needs)
“Although it’s still an old fashioned shop, we’ve had to adapt in certain ways compared to what it was like 45 years ago. Then you didn’t have the online presence and all the supermarkets selling everything that they sell – so we’ve had to diversify in some of the products that we sell.
“Years ago, people would feed their dogs just scraps, bits of meat or certain tinned food, which would have been a big part of what we sold. Whereas nowadays people are much more aware of the contents of dog and cat food and they’re prepared to spend more.
“We sell hamsters and budgies and we would have sold thousands over the years. People have come from miles around, we’ve had someone from the Isle of Man., we’ve had someone come from London.”
Terry Smith and Orla Scanlan have been at the heart of the business for year(Image: Photo by Iain Watts)
Terry and Orla have got to know hundreds of customers over the years and they often see many local dogs lead their owners to the shop daily in anticipation of their free sausage or special treat. Terry said: “I’ve always enjoyed coming to work and mixing with the customers and meeting all their animals.
“Generations of people have come in the shop and brought their children and then their children’s children. It’s lovely to see people growing up and their love of animals being passed on.”
Orla, 62, joined the business back in the 00s and has worked at the shop through the years. She said the pair have been “overwhelmed” by customers sending cards, gifts and sharing their well-wishes ahead of Pet Needs final day.
Terry Smith and Orla Scanlan outside their family shop(Image: Photo by Iain Watts)
She said some of her favourite memories have been of the couple’s late dog, Daisy the black Labrador, greeting customers while sitting outside the shop, as well as their miniature Labradoodle Tino, who has also been a familiar face to regulars.
Orla, originally from Dublin, told the ECHO: “We’ve got a lot of regular customers and that’s what the business has been built on. Their kindness over the years in different ways has been really lovely and they’ve been very supportive through difficult times.
“We recently visited Terry’s aunt, Dorothy, who lives local and we asked what do you think Ron and Terry’s grandad would think about the shop all these years on. She said they’d be amazingly proud of Terry.”
Ahead of retiring, Terry and Orla are offering final reductions and bargains to customers on a range of food items and accessories. Their final day is this Thursday, July 31.
Terry added: “A lot of customers have been saying it’s an end of an era. They’ve been coming here for so many years and they’ve always liked coming in, they’re always friendly.
“They’ve said they’re all really going to miss us and it’s very touching that they feel that way. I feel the same as well in lots of ways – it’s been a huge part of my life.
“I’ve always enjoyed coming to work. I’ve always enjoyed the time with customers and their animals and it’s been lovely. Our last day will be a sad day – I’m sure there will be tears.”