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PHOTOS: Port Moody Santa-pet photo shoot raises $5,000 for SPCA

What do a car dealership, Santa and a ferret have in common?

The dogs and cats were to be expected, but would Santa ham it up with the ferret, hamster and hedgehog?

On Saturday, Dec. 7, animal lovers from around the Tri-Cities walked into a car dealership on St. John’s Street in Port Moody and found out — each snapping a photo with the jolliest of elves. 

The day marked the final photo shoot in a fundraising drive for the BC SPCA. Over three days, the pet photos with Santa Claus raked in $4,975 for local animal shelters, according to event organizer and OpenRoad Auto Group manager Joanna Ho.

Ho says she was inspired by photo-with-Santa events at malls but worried it could be uncomfortable with all the crowds. With the holiday season a relatively slow time at car dealerships, she thought, “instead of taking dogs to the mall, why not come to a more quiet environment.”

The number of appointments and drop-ins soon exceeded Ho’s expectations.

Nina Bianco, who drove from Port Coquitlam to get photos of her 12-year-old golden retriever, said she was happy to give back. 

“We used to volunteer with the SPCA,” she said. “It’s the least we could do.”