Calling all pet owners.and parents of young children. You're all invited to take part in a 'Howl-O-Ween' night to remember.
Touch Animal Rehabilitation on Front Street in North Bay, is inviting people to have their picture taken with their pet in front of a Halloween themed backdrop, between 3 and 7 p.m. Halloween night.
"If they don't want to have a picture with their pet in costume, and just want a nice photo of their pet against the backdrop, that's a nice keepsake too. The entire family can pop into the photo if they want. And even if they don't have a pet, and they just want to have a picture of their son or daughter taken, that's acceptable too. It's all for a good cause," said Laurel Dutrisac, owner of Touch Animal Rehabilitation and Grooming.
The cost is $10 with proceeds in support of local dog rescues.
"We've got 'Rat Terrier Rescue', 'Gentle Jakes Coonhound Rescue' and 'Pet Save,'" said photographer Amanda Laframboise, of Prancing Paws Pet Photography.
"We do have a few small props here. We'll have a nice backdrop set up. It's going to be very 'Howl-o-weeny' for them. We've got games going on as well,' said Laframboise.
In addition to the three rescue groups, a donation jar will be set up for a young dog named Bonnie. In and around the time Hurricane Harvey slammed into Texas, a number of dogs were taken out of rescues to make room for incoming animals.
Now being fostered in North Bay, the Maltese poodle cross, who is estimated to be about a year old, is facing possible surgery.
"While she was still in Texas she got her paw stuck in a kennel and ended up tearing some ligaments in her ankle and has a toe injury. That all came to light when she came to Canada, so she's come to stay with me," said Laframboise. "
"Right now she's getting over a bit of an infection and she's looking at possible surgery to repair the tendons in her ankle. That surgery is going to be over $1,000. So I thought it would be nice to put out a little jar and we're going to try and raise a little bit of extra money for Rat Terrier Rescue, to help offset the cost of that surgery."
The fundraising photography session is based on a drop-in format.
"For the dogs, if you take them for a short walk ahead of time, and bring their favourite treat or toy with you, it helps settle them down," said Dutrisac. "It's all about having fun. We're having a prize for best costume for dog, cat, and child. At Easter, we did a ferret. "
During that photo shoot, $700 was raised for charity.
Dutrisac credits a friend for inspiring her to organize the 'Howl-O-Ween' fundraiser.
"I thought it was so fun to see how excited she gets when she sees her dogs in their costumes. I know Amanda takes some great photos, and I think more and more people are into dressing their dogs up for Halloween, so I thought what a great way to capture that moment for them while raising some funds for some of the rescue groups" said Dutrisac.
Touch Animal Rehabilitation provides physical therapy for dogs and cats.
"Veterinarians will refer an injured patient over to me after it's had some sort of surgical repair or some diagnosis of injury, and we will help them recover from that. From knee surgeries to spinal disease, arthritis, even some senior dogs that are looking to grow old gracefully, we help them maintain muscle mass with exercise and hydrotherapy."
