Lisa and 14-year old Thomas Dixon from Dogs for Good and their dog, Vito, were VIP guests at the grand opening of Pets at Home inside Tesco Extra in Durham.

The family officially opened the new store, before being invited to choose a selection of Pets at Home’s toys and treats for the assistance dog Vito – who was especially drawn to a blue ball.

Dogs for Good, formerly Dogs for the Disabled, is a UK-based charity training and providing accredited assistance dogs to people with physical disabilities and children with autism. Until October 2015 it was called Dogs for the Disabled.

The charity introduced Thomas to Cocker Spaniel Vito when he was just seven and the pair went on to develop an unbreakable bond. Carmel College student Thomas, who has cerebal palsy, was an only child who felt lonely before meeting Vito.

Dogs for Good volunteer, Lisa Dixon said “Thomas and I were really excited to be cutting the ribbon at the launch event for the brand new Durham Pets at Home store.  It gave us an opportunity to show our appreciation for all the fantastic support Pets at Home gives to Dogs for Good.

“Vito was also very excited from meeting lots of new people, getting loads of fuss and sniffing out a few treats!”

Store manager Jill Allen said: “Our opening weekend went even better than we had hoped and it was great to have Lisa, Thomas and Vito attend the launch and show them all the products we have on offer at the store.”

The store which is located inside the Tesco Extra on Dragonville Industrial Estate includes a pet pharmacy which will provide a large range of health care products including supplements, first aid, dental care and flea and worms treatments.