For those who celebrate Christmas, getting a photo with Santa might have been something you did as a child! I know there are a couple photos of a young me scared out of my mind of the Santa right next to me. But this trend isn’t limited to young children and families. Over the past few years, there has been more than a few people who’ve gotten a photo of their pet and Santa! All across the Pacific Northwest this year, there are events to make that happen and many are benefitting different animal nonprofits.

Here are a few events happening:

• Santa Paws Photos at Bellingham Mud Bay (1022 Lakeway Drive Bellingham, WA), benefiting Whatcom Humane Society
  • 11am to 3pm Saturday and Sunday, December 1-2
  • Cost: $20
  • No appointment or registration needed
• Holiday Pet Photos at ReTails Thrift Store (5000 E 4th Plain Blvd, Vancouver, WA), benefitting Human Society for Southwest Washington
  • 2pm to 5pm on Friday, November 30
  • 10am to 1pm on Saturday, December 1
  • Cost: $15
  • Registration form here
• Pet Pictures with Santa at Newberg Veterinary Hospital (3716 E Portland Road, Newberg, OR), benefiting the Newberg Animal Shelter Friends
  • 2pm to 5pm on December 9
  • Cost: $15 suggested donation
• Open House and Pet Photos with Santa at Queen Anne Animal Clinic (1800 Queen Anne Avenue N, Seattle, WA), benefiting the Homeward Pet Adoption Center
  • 12pm to 3pm on Sunday, December 9
  • Cost $15 suggested donation
• 2nd Annual Photos with Santa at Three Paws Neighborhood Pet Supply ( 3147 SW Moody Ave, Portland, OR), benefiting The Pongo Fund
  • 11am to 2pm, Saturday, December 1
  • Cost: $20 donation

The BC SPCA is going to have a few different photo sessions with Santa at different locations in the greater Vancouver, BC area over the next couple weeks! You can find out more information here. Similarly, Seattle DogSpot has done a great job at collecting different pet photos with Santa sessions in the Seattle/Puget Sound area (including a few in Everett, Shelton, and Olympia!). You can find that list here. Lastly, if you can’t find an event near you, try looking at sites like BringFido. You can search for events by area on that site!

If you do decide to get a photo of your dog and Santa, I recommend going for a short walk beforehand and letting them walk around the location to sniff everything. I’ve always found that dogs that are a bit tired and aren’t distracted by all the wonderful, new smells pose the camera a bit better!

Are you planning to get a photo of your pet and Santa? Are there other events happening? Let me know in the comments! I’d love to hear about your experience (and maybe even see the photo!).