Santa Paws Gives Seattle Humane Society Leg Up on Donations

Dogs arrived at the  shelter in Bellevue this weekend to meet with a special visitor. Dogs and their families had the chance to tell Santa Paws what good little doggies they've been all year, while helping raise a little holiday cheer for animals less fortunate than themselves.

Some of the pooches who came to pose with the big man had been through this before, such as Pula, a Brittany Spaniel who was less nervous this year than last, said her owners, Steve and Tricia Schalekamp.

They joined Pula for a picture with their son, Evan. Pula showed Evan, who was visiting Santa for the first time this year, how it's done.

In return for their good-naturedness, the pets were rewarded with dog biscuits, while their owners were rewarded with priceless photos of their pooches for their donations.

For the Seattle Humane Society, the event was a welcome boost for its Home for the Holidays campaign, drawing visitors and a combined $1,688 in donations to the Bellevue shelter. Along with an earlier Santa Paws event, the total raised by the Santa Paws volunteers was $4,480.

Seattle Humane Society development director Brynn Blanchard said she thought the heavy rain over the weekend may have dampened the event's results. But ultimately, it came relatively close to the event's $5,000 goal. Cheerful volunteers answered questions and offered cookies to visitors. 

Meanwhile, the shelter also offered free vet clinic for pets of low-income residents, and waived the adoption fees for adult cats as part of its Home 4 the Holidays event. Blanchard says the fee waiver for adult cats will continue through December, and the fee to adopt kittens has been reduced this month to $50.  

The Santa Paws volunteers had assorted headgear for pets to wear, but miniature pugs Ozzie and Mimi came dressed in their own holiday garb for their portrait.

One of the happiest visits for Blanchard and the volunteers was a return by Oliver, the largest Mastiff mix most people here have ever seen. Oliver, who weighs in at an impressive 191 pounds, was adopted last summer by one of the shelter volunteers after he was surrendered by owners who were moving and couldn't take him. He came back to the shelter Sunday afternoon for a picture with his two new canine family members.