More than $1,000 raised for pets in need with Santa photo shoot

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C.— A Fort St. John pet supply store raised more than $1,000 for local animal rescue centres by hosting pet photos with Santa over the holiday season. 

Over the festive season, The Bone and Biscuit Co hosted photos with Santa for pets and raised $1,085 for On Our Way Home Animal Rescue and the BCSPCA. 

Trevor Bolin, councillor for the City of Fort St. John and franchisee for The Bone and Biscuit Co, told Energeticcity.ca this event has been done at the store for a few years. 

He said: “It is always a very successful event. From the donations the store receives, they’re actually split between On Our Way Home Animal Rescue and the SPCA.” 

The funds go towards “fosters in this region to be able to purchase much-needed pet supplies.” 

According to the Facebook post uploaded to Bone & Biscuit FSJ’s page, the event raised $785 and an additional $300 was donated by Brandy Sieg, a patron. 

Dennis Hetman, who has dressed as Santa for the past few years, told Energeticcity.ca: “We have a lot of pets, mainly cats and dogs, but I get hedgehogs and snakes [too].” 

Hetman shared this collaboration with Bolin dates back a couple of years. For the latest event on December 13th and 14th, Hetman said he posed with close to 100 pets. 

“I’m sitting in my chair there and people bring the pets at the back of the store so it’s quiet enough and we let the pets come to me,” he said, adding some animals are excited while some are a little shy. 

All the funds raised are by donation. Bolin said: “[The] donations go towards supporting our local shelters and our local pets that are looking for homes.” 

Despite being a pet lover, Bolin never anticipated that the event would be so popular when he started three years ago. 

He shared: “We didn’t know if it would take off [or] if it would be very popular [with] people bringing their pets in for pictures of Santa.

“Every year when we sell out, people [are] asking for walk-in appointments or after-hours appointments, it makes me realize how important this [is for] the community to be involved in helping rescue animals.” 

Bolin shared there is no price on how much to donate. 

“It doesn’t matter what you can donate. It’s the fact that you’re willing to help out on something as big as this [in] the community. I think the reason we do this is because not only for the pets that need help, but it’s the community having a great reason to get involved. And this gives back tenfold.”

For 2026, Hetman shared the event will happen over three days instead of two days.