Nelson & Kim, Balestier

Trusted Puppy Shop, AVS Licensed & Verified

Item: Curious Tails
Rating: 5
Author: Andrew Mak

4.9 from 65 Google reviews

Curious Tails is run by two people you will actually meet: Nelson and Kim, AVS licensed (AS24J00046), two years in and now homing more than 200 puppies a year, with a 5.0-star Google rating built on one habit: honest breed matching over quick sales.

WhatsApp us Meet Nelson & Kim

Licence AS24J00046, verifiable on the AVS public registry in under a minute.

AVS licensed · AS24J00046
65 five-star reviews
2+ years in Balestier

AVS licensed pet shop Singapore: caregiver hands gently holding an apricot Cavapoo puppy in a bright, well-kept space

Est. 2024

4.9 on Google

What does 'AVS licensed pet shop' actually mean?

An AVS licensed pet shop is a business licensed by the Animal and Veterinary Service, a unit of the National Parks Board, to keep and sell pets in Singapore. The licence requires welfare inspections of how animals are housed and sold, mandatory buyer-suitability screening through the Pet Purchase Declaration, AVS-recognised staff training, and annual renewal.

Curious Tails holds licence AS24J00046. The rest of this page is what those requirements look like in practice, from the two people who answer for them.

Read the AVS licensing conditions

The licence requires

Welfare inspections of housing and sale conditions
Pet Purchase Declaration before every sale
AVS-recognised training for the people running the shop
Annual renewal, never a one-time stamp

Two years of receipts

five-star Google reviews: 65
years in Balestier: 2+
breeds, matched by lifestyle: 7
starter kit with every puppy: $500+

Meet Nelson and Kim

Curious Tails is not a chain with a duty roster; it is Nelson and Kim, in the shop, most days. The same two people who help you choose a breed are the ones who drive the free home delivery and setup, assemble your playpen, and answer your WhatsApp three weeks later.

Two years and hundreds of families in, the working method has not changed: ask about the customer's daily routine first, and only then talk breeds. Who is home between 8am and 6pm decides more about the right dog than any photo does.

That approach costs us the occasional quick sale. It is also why the review column reads the way it does.

Meeting the puppies before deciding: family sitting on a mat while an apricot Cavapoo approaches at its own pace

We’d Rather Talk You Out of the Wrong Breed

The story we are known for: a couple came in set on a Maltipoo. Both work 8am to 6pm, nobody home in the day, no helper. Maltipoos need more company than that, so we recommended a Cavapoo instead, similar warmth, noticeably more independent, knowing it might cost us the sale.

They took the Cavapoo home, she settled into the playpen we had set up, and Andrew Mak's five-star review of that honest steer still does more for us than any advertisement could.

If you are not sure what fits your routine, start with the two-minute breed selector, or just message us your typical weekday. We will tell you straight.

Lifestyle-first matching

1. Your daily routine: who is home, and when
2. Your space: HDB, condo, or landed
3. Your experience: first dog or returning owner
4. Your energy preference: active or calm
5. Only then: the breed

What the Licence Makes Us Do, and Why You Benefit

Most shops wear 'AVS licensed' as a badge. Here is what it obliges us to do, requirement by requirement.

What the Licence Makes Us Do, and Why You Benefit
Licence requirement	What it means for you
Welfare inspections	How our puppies are housed, fed, and sold is inspected against AVS standards, not our own claims
Pet Purchase Declaration before every sale	We must assess whether a buyer is ready for a dog; nobody walks out with a puppy on impulse
Health, vaccination, and microchip standards	Every puppy goes home vet-checked, vaccinated, dewormed, and microchipped. Our partner vet is Vets For Pets, and if a puppy falls sick within 5 days of going home, we help nurse it until it recovers
AVS-recognised training for shop operators	The advice you get comes from people trained in welfare and animal management, not just retail
Annual renewal	The licence is re-earned every year; AS24J00046 stays searchable on the public registry

The full requirements are public: see the AVS pet shop licence requirements and the licensing conditions, including the buyer-suitability rule.

The Pet Purchase Declaration: We Screen You Too

Here is the part of licensing most buyers never hear about: before any sale, we are required to assess whether you are suited to own a pet. The Pet Purchase Declaration covers your housing type, whether your household agrees, and whether you realistically have the time and means for a dog.

It can feel odd being on the receiving end of questions when you came to buy. But it is the single best rule in the licence: it protects the puppy from an impulsive home, and it protects you from a decision your household has not actually made.

We would ask most of those questions anyway; the lifestyle-matching habit came before the form did.

Licensed pet shop standards in practice: apricot Cavapoo puppy calm during a gentle stethoscope health check

Come meet the puppies before you decide

2 Balestier Road #01-701. Weekdays 12pm to 6pm, weekends 10am to 6pm. WhatsApp first so the right puppies are ready for you.

WhatsApp us

Why the Licensed Shop Is Also the Cheaper One Here

People assume licensed means expensive, and unlicensed 'deals' online feed that assumption. Our pricing breaks it: from $3,288 all-in, typically $500 to $2,000 below the big-name licensed shops, with the $500+ starter kit, delivery, setup, and the training lesson already inside. The reason is unglamorous: we spend almost nothing on marketing, and the same AVS standards bind every licensed shop regardless of ad budget.

One protective note, said once: a puppy $500 to $1,000 below even our range, from a Carousell or Telegram seller with no licence to show, is usually smuggled, and buyers have been fined $7,000 for purchasing one. The maths and the case files are in what smuggled puppies really cost buyers.

The full number-by-number picture is on our transparent puppy pricing page.

Same standards, different overheads

From $3,288 all-in, everything included
Typically $500 to $2,000 below big-name shops
Near-zero ad spend, passed on to you
Growth by reviews and referrals

Aftercare: What Happens After You Buy

The sale is the middle of our job, not the end. Delivery day includes the in-home walkthrough of the 30+ item starter kit, your free AVS-certified training lesson gets booked into week one, and our WhatsApp stays open for care questions, free, indefinitely.

And the promise we are asked about most: if your puppy falls sick within the first 5 days of going home, bring them back to the shop and we will nurse them ourselves.

Most of the questions new owners would ask at 11pm are answered before we leave your home; the rest get a real reply from the two people who matched you with your puppy.

Well-socialised puppies at an AVS licensed shop: apricot Cavapoo and cream Bichonpoo playing gently on a mat

Google Reviews · 4.9 ★

What Families Say

65 Google reviews, 4.9 average, and counting.

Gs Lee
9 months ago · Local Guide
Nelson and Kim were really friendly and knowledgeable about the dogs under their care. They take really good care of them and we were so happy to bring home our Corgi who’s such a joy to have. Thanks again! Highly recommended!
Read on Google
Jessa Gelig
2 hours ago
Between work and everything else, Curious Tails at Balestier made buying a Malshi surprisingly painless. Kim and Nelson really took good care of us, quoted us a price that was genuinely reasonable from the start some more. We're absolutely thrilled with how this went, thanks to Curious Tails in Balestier.
Read on Google
Felicia Goh
3 weeks ago · Local Guide
Kim attended to us patiently even though shop was busy. Our Cavapoo doing well, no issues so far. Our Cavapoo is the best addition to the family. If you're still deciding, book a visit, you won't regret it. 😊
Read on Google
Cassandra Chips
5 days ago
We'd been looking everywhere for a healthy Maltipoo puppy Singapore, and Curious Tails in Balestier turned out to be the best by far. We're so grateful to Kim and Nelson, who showered our pup with free goodies. It's reassuring to buy from a proper licensed store that genuinely cares. If you want peace of mind buying a puppy, this is the place.
Read on Google
Sandra Lee
3 weeks ago
Walked into Curious Tails looking for a Cavapoo puppy for sale and walked out with the happiest little addition to our family. We're so grateful to Nelson and Kim, who handled the paperwork professionally and quickly and shared plenty of practical care tips. The puppy was happy, healthy, and clearly raised in a loving environment. So thankful we chose Curious Tails, our home feels complete now.
Read on Google
Jayan Arunasalam
2 months ago
Finding a healthy Cavapoo puppy for sale in Singapore felt daunting until we walked into Curious Tails in Balestier. Nelson made us feel right at home and made it all feel seamless and professional and sent us home with a bag full of free gifts. The full vaccination was already covered, which showed how much they care. Thank you Nelson @ Curious Tails for such a wonderful start to pet parenthood! 🤩
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Patricia Lim
2 months ago
As first-time dog owners, we couldn't have asked for a better place than Curious Tails in Balestier to find our Maltipoo pup. Kim and Nelson guided us through each step with clear explanations and had honest and affordable prices, and clearly loves what they do. We felt fully prepared to bring our pup home, right down to the smallest detail. We loved the aftercare support; you can tell they truly care about the pups and the owners. Genuinely the best decision we made, highly recommended.
Read on Google
Philip Seng
3 months ago
Very good service and patient. Will recommend fur parent to seek them out.
Read on Google

See all 65 reviews →

Check us, or any shop, on the AVS registry

Every legitimate pet shop in Singapore appears on the AVS public registry of licensed pet shops. Search the shop's name or licence number before paying any deposit; the check takes about 60 seconds, and a seller who is not listed is not licensed, whatever the listing claims.

Curious Tails is listed under licence AS24J00046. Check us first; an honest shop never minds. For the red flags and the full walkthrough, see our step-by-step licence verification guide.

Search the AVS public registry

The 60-second check

Open the AVS public registry
Search the shop name or licence number
Not listed = not licensed, full stop

Full walkthrough: step-by-step licence verification guide

Cited expertise

If the breeder doesn't ask you any questions about you and the life that you're going to provide for one of their animals, they simply don't care. Red flag.

VanessaProfessional dog groomer and pet educator
Girl With Her Dogs (YouTube), 00:14:23Quoted with attribution. Not affiliated with Curious Tails.

About Us, Answered

What is your AVS licence number?

AS24J00046, and you can search it on the AVS public registry of licensed pet shops any time. Our ACRA company registration, 202420075D, is a separate identifier; for a pet shop, the AVS licence is the one that counts.

What does the Pet Purchase Declaration ask me?

It checks that you are genuinely ready for a dog: your housing type, whether the household agrees, and whether you have the time and means to care for a pet. Licensed shops must complete it before any sale. It protects the puppy, and honestly, it protects you too.

Why are you cheaper than bigger licensed shops if the standards are the same?

Because the standards are the same but the overheads are not. The bigger names carry heavy marketing budgets that come back through the puppy price; we spend almost nothing on ads and grow on reviews and referrals instead. Same licence, smaller megaphone.

What support do we get after buying?

The in-home walkthrough of all 30+ starter-kit items, a free first lesson with an AVS-certified trainer, free care support on WhatsApp for as long as you need it, and the 5-day promise: if your puppy falls sick within the first 5 days home, bring them back and we nurse them ourselves.

Can we visit before deciding?

Please do. We are at 2 Balestier Road #01-701, open weekdays 12pm to 6pm and weekends 10am to 6pm. WhatsApp us first so we can have the right puppies ready for the breeds you are considering.

How do I check that any pet shop is really licensed?

Search the shop's name on the AVS public registry of licensed pet shops; every legitimate shop in Singapore is listed there. If a seller is not on that registry, they are not licensed, whatever their listing says.