Santa Paws To Appear At Pet's General Store

Reliable sources at the North Pole have leaked the news that Santa Paws is coming to town. Friends of the Lakewood Dog Park, Inc., (FLDP) has confirmed that the Jolly Old Elf will make an appearance at Pet’s General Store, 16821 Madison Avenue, on Sunday, November 4 from 1 to 4 p.m. According to a high-ranking elf insider who spoke on condition of anonymity, the purpose of Santa’s visit is to pose for pet portraits in time for the coming holiday season.

A lead member of Santa’s logistics team, a reindeer who admittedly has a very shiny nose, disclosed, “The Big Guy will offer an exclusive photo-op for dogs and their humans at the popular Lakewood pet store. Pet owners wishing to make a reservation with Santa should visit the website, www.LakewoodDogPark.org. The cost for a photo session scheduled and paid for in advance is $10. Walk-ins will be accommodated as time permits at a cost of $15.”  The annual event has been a sell-out in previous years, so registering in advance is strongly urged, the red-nosed reindeer cautioned.

Internationally recognized celebrities Santa and Mrs. Paws are famous for their generosity and kindness to children. They are also known for their benevolence and charity to animals. The couple is proud to announce that Friends of the Lakewood Dog Park, Inc., has partnered with All Dogs’ Heaven (ADH), another all-volunteer Lakewood non-profit group, to promote the mission of that organization. 

All Dogs’ Heaven is committed to preventing cruelty to animals, increasing public awareness about spay/neuter needs, and reuniting lost dogs with their families. The group also obtains medical treatment as needed for dogs under their care, while forging efforts to place abandoned dogs for adoption with proper, loving families, while maintaining the highest quality of life for each and every dog.

In conjunction with the Photos with Santa Paws event, the Lakewood dog park group will collect items that ADH needs to carry out its mission: flat fabric collars of all sizes, 6-foot leashes, dog bowls for food/water, unopened canned or dry dog/puppy food, clean towels/blankets, paper towels, automatic dish washing liquid or laundry detergent. For a complete list of items needed, please refer to the ADH website: www.alldogsheaven.org.

Photos with Santa Paws also benefits Friends of the Lakewood Dog Park, Inc., a volunteer 501(c)(3) non-profit and tax-exempt organization that works with the City of Lakewood to care for the dog park, maintains a website and Facebook page, and hosts various events of interest to dogs and their owners. The FLDP calendar includes an annual dog-swim, periodic talks by area pet professionals, and seasonal photo events with Santa Paws and Hoppy Paws, the larger-than-life Easter bunny. FLDP also partners with other local animal organizations, such as ADH, to raise money and promote awareness of rescue, health, housing and placement issues. 

Tick and Tock, Santa Paws’ time-keeping elves, want to remind folks in the Lakewood area that Daylight Saving Time ends on Sunday, November 4: “Don’t forget to set your clocks back one-hour! You don’t want to miss meeting Santa Paws.”

Karen Karp and Kent Cicerchi are members of Friends of the Lakewood Dog Park and co-chairs of Photos with Santa Paws – 2012. You can frequently find them over the river and through the woods at the Lakewood Dog Park with their dogs, Dudley and Max.