Dogs, cats, and guinea pigs all sit on Santa’s lap
LANSING, Ill. (December 14, 2018) – How do you get a Christmas card-worthy photo of your pets? Bring them to see Santa at Ridge Animal Clinic, located at 3667 Ridge Road in Lansing. For more than 12 years, Ridge Animal Clinic has hosted a Photos with Santa event. This year he arrived on Wednesday, December 12, for a morning shift and an afternoon shift.
Manager Jennifer Galbreath says the set-up at Ridge Animal Clinic is more conducive to getting good photos because it’s a more personal approach than what might be available at a pet store chain. It’s a private room with one-on-one staff attention, and a Santa who’s really good with animals.
This particular Santa spends a lot of time at Settlers Pond Animal Shelter, so he’s familiar with all kinds of creatures—domesticated and wild.
The Santa visit is free, a way to say thank-you and Merry Christmas to the Lansing community. Most of the visitors are clients of the clinic, but a few people drop in just to say hi to Santa. All are welcome.
Each year, Ridge Animal Clinic choose an animal-related cause to support, and guests are welcome to make a donation. This year’s chosen nonprofit was Kitties For Keeps, a no-kill, foster-based cat rescue that finds homes for abandoned, abused, and neglected cats.
This was Galbreath’s first year organizing the Santa visit. By 4:00pm on Wednesday afternoon, Santa had seen about 20 guests—mostly dogs, but also a few cats, and two guinea pigs.
Santa says the Ridge Animal Clinic photo day is one of his favorite assignments. Not only is it well organized and fun, but he appreciates having a way to give back for all that Ridge Animal Clinic has done for Settlers Pond Shelter. The shelter was founded by Roland and Pinky Janota on their family farm in Beecher, Illinois, as a no-kill rescue for “any type of animal in need.” Pinky Janota invites the public to visit and learn about farming, hooded animals, and exotic animals.
Ridge Animal Clinic is located at 3667 Ridge Road in Lansing, Illinois. Call 708-474-3100 for more information.
