Pet photo event in Timmins creates holiday memories, raises money for humane society
The most wonderful time of the year is approaching — and families are starting to get into the Holiday spirit with Christmas photos.
But not just humans, their pets are joining in the Holiday tradition, too.
The Timmins Humane Society held its annual Christmas pet photo event Saturday, to create Holiday memories and raise money for the local animal shelter. It continues Sunday.
It’s a fluffy and festive photo session at the local YMCA, as the humane society invites animals and their owners to capture some Holiday memories.
They get to meet Santa Claus himself, who tells CTV that it’s a wildly fun and unpredictable event.
“I had a ferret get tangled up in the beard,” Santa said.
“I had a cat, once, sort of scratch me on the side of the cheek and pull my head off. I once had a German shepherd decide to mark his territory on Santa’s boot. Every year, there seems to be a little story.”
The event often attracts return visitors, he said, and is a way for pet parents to look back at their growing fur families — and a chance to start new traditions.
“It makes for really cute family photos,” said the human society’s Bianca Gagnon.
“And it’s really nice because we get a lot of animals that were from the shelter originally and they come back and we get to see how they’ve done and how they’ve adapted to their forever home.”
NOT ALL ANIMALS ARE NATURALS
Not all animals are naturals on-camera, however, so the event’s photographer said she has to be just as quick on her feet.
“You gotta’ have, like, a fast shutter and you always have to be quick, like, on the button and then just take a bunch and look through them and see which one they’re looking at,” Robin Allen said.
“And ‘squeakies’ work.”
The fun for Santa is being able to meet new furry friends or welcome back old ones, see if he can decipher their Christmas wishes … and enjoy their personalities.
“I can see if it’s a nervous dog or a, let’s say, a very weary cat,” Santa said.
“Sometimes, you know, the bigger the dog, the more chill the dog is. In the end, it’s a fun day and it’s certainly a good, steady fundraiser.”
- Download our app to get local alerts on your device
- Get the latest local updates right to your inbox
The event helps get everyone in the Holiday spirit, both by providing animals what they need to stay comfortable in a shelter, and for those in forever homes, memories to last a lifetime. The event goes Sunday from 11 a.m - 3 p.m.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
DEVELOPING Jasper wildfire burns buildings, while poor air quality forces some fire crews out
A fast-moving wildfire has hit Jasper, Alberta, destroying buildings and chasing some wildland firefighters away with dangerously poor air quality.
Jasper mayor says alert system to be reviewed after message 'glitch'
More than 25,000 people have been displaced from Jasper National Park since wildfires started to threaten the picturesque corner of Alberta Rockies on Monday, but the mayor of its namesake municipality says not everyone received an evacuation alert when it was sent out.
Biden explains why he ended re-election bid in Oval Office address
U.S. President Joe Biden on Wednesday delivered a solemn call to voters to defend the country's democracy as he laid out in an Oval Office address his decision to drop his bid for reelection and throw his support behind Vice President Kamala Harris.
Barrie-Innisfil MPP 'blacked-out' and crashed car into window of child care centre
Staff at a Barrie child care centre say they are frustrated by what they call a local MPP's inadequate response after a car crashed through a window in one of the toddler rooms.
Norad intercepts Russian and Chinese bombers operating together near Alaska in apparent first
The North American Aerospace Defence Command (Norad) intercepted two Russian and two Chinese bombers flying near Alaska Wednesday in what appears to be the first time the two countries have been intercepted while operating together.
Alberta calls in army to assist with wildfire situation
Alberta has called in the Canadian Armed Forces to help assist with the worsening wildfire situation in the province.
2 Canadians being 'sent home immediately,' removed from Olympic team after drone incident
An analyst and an assistant coach with Canada Soccer are being removed from the Canadian Olympic Team and 'sent home immediately,' according to the Canadian Olympic Committee.
An unwelcome attendee has joined the Paris Olympic Games: COVID-19
After a handful of Australian water polo players tested positive for COVID-19 this week, questions have emerged around how the spread of the disease will be mitigated at the Summer Olympic Games in Paris.
Vacations, meals, booze: Contractor used $100K of charity's money for personal expenses, B.C. court finds
A B.C. man who was hired to help a non-profit build a food hub but instead spent the money on personal expenses – including travel, restaurants, booze and cannabis – has been ordered to pay more than $120,000 in damages.