Sat 12/6, 9am – 5pm
For the 4th year in a row, the real Santa Paws is coming back to town! His return to The Barkley Pet Hotel and Day Spa on Sat 12/6 will be a holiday memory-making affair you’ll cherish for years to come. All healthy and friendly pets are welcome for their 2014 holiday photo to be taken on Santa’s lap. Barkley stylists will be ready to give Pawdicures and mini “fluff-ups” prior to the snap of the lens.
This year’s recipient of your $10 donation per pet will benefit the W.A.G.S. 4 Kids (Working Animals Giving Service for Kids) non-profit organization. Their efforts are dedicated to providing mobility service and autism service animals that meet the specific needs of children with disabilities in Northeast Ohio. W.A.G.S. 4 Kids achieves this by utilizing their Award-Winning ODRC Accredited Cell Dog Training Program, and is driven by the belief that early intervention and will work with a family early in a child’s life if there is a need and an interest.
Director of Development and Special Events Sera Nelson beams, “We have placed over 55 dogs to homes with children where their primary diagnosis is anywhere from cerebal palsy, spina bifida, muscular dystrophy, as well as duchenne muscular dystrophy and lymph girdle muscular dystrophy, autism, quadriplegic and paraplegic. And then there is everything else you can think of: chromosonal abnormalities and so on.
“It’s pretty extensive what we and our trainers will and can do for a child. The only true requirement to be a recipient of a service dog is that we place dogs solely with children with disabilities. These dogs are their friends for life. Really the sky is the limit when it comes to what these service dogs can do. They are taught multiple therapies and they’re a child’s and family’s personal assistant. I can’t even put into words what these dogs really can do…it’s emotional, it’s physical, it’s mental…it’s all of those put into one.”
“We are the charity that Cleveland built,” Sera continues. “We are truly local and are making real change in the community. We luckily live in a community who really wants to make a change and I’m excited to see all these wonderful things that are happening in our community, across the board. Everybody is just so excited to see this city, this area grow and change and become better and become everything that everybody teased us that we would never be.
“If people want to get involved with a charity that really represents what their city represents, I would say please come help! We need help with planning, fundraising, spreading the word. Come out to one of our events…we put the fun in fundraiser! We’re really making an impact right here in our community. It’s been 10 years of focusing on the work and that personal connections with the families we service and being accessible. People can call me direct. It’s all based on community support.”
And what better way to get in on the do-gooding, impactful action that will pawsitively affect someone’s life for the better than bringing your beloved pets to The Barkley for a photo with Santa Paws! Capture a moment that will last a lifetime this holiday season while making a wonderful difference.
The Barkley is located at 27349 Miles Road in Orange Village (Chagrin Falls mailing). The photo sessions begin at 9:00 AM and run all day through 5:00 PM on Saturday, December 6th. Free parking is available in front of the building. There’s plenty of wagging tails excited to see you there!
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