Zuccoli IGA: Guard dogs brought in to help keep thieves away

Owners of Zuccoli IGA have turned to reinforcements to protect their supermarket from being broken into.

AFTER being broken into for the fourth time within four months, Palmerston business owners have called the big dogs in … literally.

As a desperate last attempt at protecting their popular supermarket, Zuccoli IGA owners Kenny and Shelly Lay have been spending more than $4000 a week on a personal security service since early November.

Visual Security guard Jim Kelly and his pooch, Jumbo, have guarded the helpless supermarket for more than six weeks.

Within that short period, the pair has had six different groups of potential offenders visit the store.

Adam Sikyr with guard dog Jumbo on patrol at the Zuccoli IGA. Picture: Glenn Campbell

“All of those times they have been able to deter the potential robbers,” Mrs Lay said.

Fortunately, Jumbo did not take no for an answer.

“As the dog showed his anger and aggression they retreated back into their car,” Mrs Lay said.

“One of the groups came three times in one night.”

The couple knew it was time for tighter security after they hired a security guard who had no accompanying dog.

Jumbo the guard dog.

Police have charged one group out of the four break ins with break and enter and continue to investigate the other three break ins.

“If we didn’t have the dog there, we would be continually robbed,” she said.

“We have to have this extra layer of security there because if we didn’t we would just be getting robbed all the time.”

The busy IGA is in the heart of the Zuccoli community and won the national IGA Community Award for 2021.