A new vending machine in a Tel Aviv shopping mall is barking up joy among four-legged city residents.
The Pet Stop machine at Gate 1 in Dizengoff Center is stocked with all sorts of treats for cats and dogs including snack foods, bones, pet candy, toys and drinking bowls. The prices range from NIS 4 to NIS 50 per item.
“New in Dizengoff Center! A vending machine for your furry friends. You’re invited to treat your dog or cat,” the shopping mall management writes in a Facebook post.
The Dizengoff Center already allows furry friends on leashes to join their two-legged companions on a shopping excursion. Adding a vending machine for Israelis – who have a dog-loving reputation – to spend money on their best friends during a shopping trip is a brilliant marketing plan.
The machine works exactly like standard vending machines: insert money, type in the number of the item, and retrieve from the tray below.
The world’s first dog candy machine appeared on October 3, 2000, in Amsterdam. It was a one-time promotional installation as part of World Animal Day.
In 2005, the Hey Buddy! vending machines for dogs hit America. But the company seems to have ceased operations.
In Turkey, Pugedon has vending machines that feed Istanbul’s stray dogs and cats. People are asked to recycle bottles into the machine, and Pugedon uses the money from the recycled bottles to buy the food.
Some other wild vending machines around the world include a live crab vending machine in China, a mashed-potato vending machine in Singapore, a cupcake ATM in the United States, a vending-machine restaurant in the Netherlands, a short-story vending machine in France, and a Bitcoin ATM in Tel Aviv.
Feedback on the newest dispenser in Tel Aviv is extremely favorable. The Dizengoff Center Facebook page has comments such as “So amazing,” “Brilliant,” “awesome” and “so much fun.”