Photoshoot shows love for canine rescue group

By Justin Seward - Lethbridge Herald on February 6, 2024.

Herald photo by Justin Seward Lucy gets prepared by her owner Kathy Davies, while Amy Davies looks on, during the Valentines Day Pet Photo Fundraiser at Pet Valu South on Saturday in Lethbridge.

There was love in the air at the Pet Valu South Lethbridge on Saturday through a photoshoot fundraiser.

The pet store on Mayor Magrath Drive held a Valentine’s Day Pet Photo Fundraiser to help raise money for Windy City Canine Rescue Society.

Dog owners could bring in their pooches and get a photo taken for $10 and that money goes to the society.

“We work with quite a few rescues; we try to switch it up for all of our events,” said Kyra Schow, an assistant manager with Pet Valu.

“Like our last one, it was Last Chance Cat Ranch for our Christmas photoshoot. I can’t remember our total, but we raise like a couple hundred dollars usually at any of these events.”

Schow highlighted that Wind City Canine Rescue Society just recently rescued 19 dogs.

“They’ve got a lot of intakes right now,” said Schow.

“We’re trying to raise some extra money for them just to take care of those. I think most of them are puppies. So obviously a big cost with a puppy. We’re trying to get them as much help as we can for all the amazing work these rescues do.”

Some of the money will go towards veterinarian bills and food.

Pet Valu was accepting cash-only and product donations.

“We’ve had a lot of puppy pee pads come as a donation or food and stuff like that,” said Schow.

Schow said there are tons of things people can do to help.

“Sometimes people don’t know where to go to support rescues and things, other than just sending money and things like that,” explained Schow.

“But this gives people, like the community around here, something fun to do, to also be donating and giving money to these rescues.”

Schow says people seem to love the initiative.

“We have a lot of return people who come to all of our photos,” said Schow.

Pet Valu is going to try a St. Patrick’s Day, Easter and perhaps a summer photoshoot in the future on top of the popular Christmas one they host already.

The photoshoot initiative began with a previous manager who had a camera and figured a photoshoot would be a fun way to get money for the rescues.

“People love pictures of their pets and we can get some really good ones,” said Schow.

“She has like a really good camera and she’s done a lot of practice and as we’ve gone, the pictures have just gotten better and better every year.”