’Tis the season to be jolly! Want to help animals and have some fun? Consider hosting a “Santa Paws” community fundraising event for PETA, in which you’d invite neighbors to have pictures of their dogs taken with Santa Paws.

Hosting one of these events would give you a terrific opportunity to connect with dog guardians in your area and talk with them about important topics such as spaying/neutering, choke collars, harnesses vs. collars, and the risk of walking dogs on icy streets or leaving them outdoors in the cold.

Here’s how to make your Santa Paws fundraiser a success:

• Secure a safe place for your event, and follow our safety guidelines. You’ll need to ensure that your event is fun for everyone involved, whether they walk on two legs or four. Only photograph one dog family at a time, and make sure the person in the photos holds onto the dog’s leash or harness. Always give dogs a moment to greet and sniff Santa to ensure that they feel safe before you start taking pictures. If a dog is uncomfortable, you can invite their guardian to hold them and be in the photo, too, or to hold onto their leash.
• Wear a suitable costume. Whether it’s Santa or his elves, costumes can easily be found on e-commerce platforms such as Poshmark or eBay.
• Keep a squeaky toy and some photo props handy. One of the best ways to capture a great shot of a dog is for the photographer to have a squeaky toy to encourage them to look at the camera while snapping some adorable photos. Be sure to make your background festive, too. You can surround Santa Paws with wrapped gift boxes and a decorated tree.
• Delivering the photos is easy. You can text or e-mail photos to people right on the spot.
• Set up a donation box. We suggest a $20 donation for photos with Santa Paws. We can supply the QR code with PETA’s Venmo account, @OfficialPETA, for your event.
• Don’t forget the vegan dog treats. Since everyone loves treats, it’s nice to have some vegan dog treats on hand to reward the guests of honor for attending your event—and maybe even a tasty treat or two for the guardians in attendance.
• Share the event. Let your community know that you’ll be hosting an event. Provide the “what,” “where,” and “when” as well as the suggested donation amount. Ask your friends to share the invitation on social media and include it on their community pages. You can easily make a beautiful flyer using online template sites like Canva.
• Tag @peta in your photos!

PETA will host our own Santa Paws events this year on December 3in Norfolk, Virginia, and on December 10 in Washington, D.C., with a suggested donation of $20.