Howl-o-ween at All the Best Pet Care

Published 10:33 am Tuesday, October 25, 2011

All The Best Pet Care celebrated Halloween on Friday, Oct. 21, with pet portraits of dogs in Halloween attire.

Part of the proceeds of the $30 sitting fee will benefit Old Dog Haven, a small nonprofit group using a network of foster homes to provide a loving, safe home for abandoned senior dogs.

Pet photographer David Walega said Old Dog Haven is a network of people who care about older dogs, which are harder to find homes for.

Old Dog Haven volunteers either take the senior dogs into their own homes, or adopts out those with a reasonable life expectancy. They also try to assist owners in finding new homes for their senior dogs through their website and referrals.

Cindy Libengood-Collins, the manager of All The Best Pet Care, said it had been a fun day. Walega said the dogs are “a little spastic in the beginning, then they settle down.”

The trick to a good photo was, of course, treats.

According to their website, Old Dog Haven cares for 210-plus dogs in homes from Blaine south to Vancouver, the Puget Sound islands and Kitsap Peninsula. Foster parents provide hospice care, final refuge homes and temporary foster care for adoptable dogs awaiting placement. The organization relies on foster parents and generous donors to keep the dogs in their care comfortable and happy during the time they have left.

Veterinary expenses in particular are very high as they try to bring the dogs back to the best possible health. Old Dog Haven is an IRS-approved 501(c)(3) nonprofit charitable organization and relies on donations for its income. They do not receive any government funds.