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34 °F 5 Day Forecast Thursday, December 18, 2003 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | eSouthernOregon | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find a Rental Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Email Story to a Friend December 14, 2003 Sheree Rich preps Corky, a 3-year-old Boston terrier, to get his picture taken with Santa Claus. Rich and her mother, Sheila, drove from Grants Pass for the photo session Saturday at Pet Country. Mail Tribune / Roy Musitelli Doggone picturesque By GREG STILES Mail Tribune They sniffed, snapped, sneezed and whined. Waiting too long to see Santa Claus can do that to young mutts, not to mention their generally more stately purebred cousins. Dozens of canines and other four-footed creatures padded up to Santa’s throne Saturday at Grange Co-op’s Pet Country for a few moments with a bespectacled, rather trim, jolly old elf. Even a few infants crashed the party, but there were no cattle or sheep to be found. Photographer Michelle Hogue captured the shaggy and short-haired digital moments, beseeching humans to watch the camera, while Char McKee used squeaky toys to capture their pet’s attention. Advertisement A few feet away, a handful of caged cats looked on with that what’s-the-big-deal expression during the Southern Oregon Humane Society-sponsored event. Occasionally, the dogs took note of the felines and drove the domestic rivalry point home with a triumphant bark. For some pooches, the trip to Santa’s was like gnawing on an old bone. For others — let’s say it was better than a trip to the vet for a rabies booster. Jessie, a somewhat deaf Chesapeake Bay retriever with a "Here Comes Santa Paws" sweater, has done this gig ever since her 10-year-old mistress, Stephanie Risner of Central Point, was a preschooler. "Stephanie wouldn’t get her picture taken with Santa unless the dog came with her," said mom Vicki Risner. They were joined by Allie, a malamute they picked up two months ago that still hadn’t quite got the idea. "Overwhelmed by the lights," Risner surmised. "Allie wanted to play with all the other dogs. It was hard to keep her from turning this place into a playground." Then there was Mr. Blue, an 11-year-old golden lab who has been under the weather, and his housemate Raven, a 9-year-old black lab. They were as unruffled as two dogs could be by the cacophony of sounds, sights and scents. "I’ve never done this before," admitted their owner, Amy Kinard of Ashland. "But I had a friend do it and it sounded like a lot of fun. If her dogs could do it, mine could, too." Shelby Tompkins of Jacksonville had done the dog thing before. This time, however, she trotted out the family pony, Thunder, for a photo-op with her granddaughter McKenzie Ortiz-Case. "He really thinks he’s a horse," Tompkins says. "I put him in the trailer, just like one of the big guys." While some of the photos and CDs are destined for wall display and sharing with extended family, Jack and Kathy Eagleson of Medford plan to turn the picture of their mixed American Eskimo/golden retriever Jessie into a Christmas ornament. "The first time we put it on the tree, we liked it so much that we decided to do it again," Jack Eagleson said. "Santa held him in his lap for that one and he looked like he wanted to escape. Santa looked a little bleary-eyed." Meanwhile, in another part of the store, a trio of llamas decked out in Christmas attire posed with people and pets as well. Ruth McCleary of Medford mugged it up beside a pair of stoical llamas for the camera. "I just feel like hugging them," McCleary said. "My youngest daughter used to have two llamas in Spokane and she’ll get a kick out of this." Reach reporter Greg Stiles at 776-4463 or e-mail [email protected] . Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2003 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback 3 WEEKS FREE! ADVERTISERS SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Real Estate Showcase Food for Thought Hike of the Week Wellness Connection Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Openings Prime Times