A pet-pictures-with-Santa fundraiser on Saturday, Nov. 30 at the OpenRoad MINI dealership in 91原创 City saw about 70 animals, mostly dogs, take part.

Participants received both a digital and printed copy of the photo with a minimum donation of $25.

For a second year, the session was in support of Aldergrove's Happy Herd animal sanctuary, a registered charity whose co-founder, Diane Marsh was delighted with the response.

"It's a very nice event," Marsh told the 91原创 Advance Times.

"Santa was wonderful. He's promised me I'm getting everything I want for the year."

At this time of year, one likely wish would be for donations, enough to keep the sanctuary going at a time when the flow of contributions has been cut off.

Normally, the end of the year is when a lot of tax-deductible donations to Happy Herd come in, in the form of cheques arriving by mail, but a strike at Canada Post has stopped it all.

Marsh said the sanctuary relies on supporters to help keep up with rising expenses.

"Just like your grocery bill, our grocery bill goes up," Marsh said. "We need these events."

Marsh urged contributors to consider donating online at 

"The best place to go is the website, and there's a donate button and it will automatically generate a tax receipt," Marsh explained.

"And the best thing for us is people who want to do monthly donations, [where] you can set up a recurring donation."

Happy Herd, a four-acre farm, is home to several goats, sheep, chickens, cows, pigs, turkeys, ducks, cats, a dog, and a donkey.

An online statement of purpose says the charity "rescues and gives a forever home to abandoned and abused farmed animals."

Marsh updated the story of , a special needs Icelandic sheep who is alive and thriving despite predictions he wouldn't live more than a few months after he arrived a year-and-a-half ago with a neurological condition that, among other things, makes walking difficult.

"[Noodles now] has his own nurse, she comes every Friday," Marsh said.

"He now has a chiropractor who comes every Thursday, and we have a physio, a registered, massage, therapist who comes in to work on him."

OpenRoad launched Pet Photos with Santa in 2019.

"Pet owners have truly embraced the event by bringing their beloved furry friends to our dealerships to take that special holiday portrait in a warm, welcoming, and safe space,鈥� said Hakan Williams, manager of Club OpenRoad.

OpenRoad Foundation is a private foundation created by OpenRoad Auto Group to give grants to Canada Revenue Agency-registered charities in three areas: environment, education, and family life in the communities where OpenRoad Auto Group operates.