Dogs and photogs team up tomorrow for love of charity

Charity fundraising has never had it so rough but one local dog trainer wants make it much more “ruff.”

Business owner Kaytie Stack of K9 Awareness in Riel Park has teamed up with award-winning photographer Jill Shantz to offer customers a unique way of showing their love for their best friends and help bring in money to support a worthy cause at the same time.

“We’re a good team,” Stack said.

Last April, she hosted a treadmill dog jog-a-thon to benefit the Edmonton Humane Society. She said that it went so well, raising more than $700, that she just had to do it again.

“It was a great success and it was lots of fun!”

In the summer she held an event called Hot Dogs with proceeds going to the Dogs with Wings Assistance Dog Society.

This year she wanted to do something different and for a different cause. She was still deep in contemplation when she attended the Edmonton Pet Expo two weeks ago. Serendipity placed her face-to-face with the people running a booth for HART, the Humane Animal Rescue Team. It was puppy love at first sight and it wasn’t just because the team’s acronym was so appropriate.

“I realized HART was the perfect organization for the Valentines. It’s HART.”

The Edmonton-based society rescues stray, abandoned and unwanted dogs from rural areas including First Nations around the Capital region and works to place them in permanent homes. It also provides programs to promote responsible pet ownership and prevent animal cruelty. If you want to learn more about the charity please visit www.humaneanimalrescueteam.ca.

“It’s just a great thing for people to be doing, other than letting these dogs be euthanized because no one wants them.”

She already has about 30 customers who have signed up to get their dogs’ photos taken by Shantz. Prints will be available by Friday, just in time for Feb. 14.

In April the jog-a-thon returns to support Dogs with Wings.