WE WISH YOU A MERRY KISS-MAS SANTA OPENS ARMS TO GOD'S CREATURES GREAT AND SMALL.Byline: Dana Bartholomew Staff Writer WEST HILLS - They've pecked at him. Peed on him. Pooped poop 1 n. 1. An enclosed superstructure at the stern of a ship. 2. A poop deck. tr.v. pooped, poop·ing, poops 1. To break over the stern of (a ship). 2. on him. And even preyed upon Santa's beard. A growing number of Fidos and Fifis have nonetheless endeared themselves to Ol' St. Nick by posing in his lap for holiday-season snapshots. Dogs, cats, rabbits, birds, hamsters - even snakes. ``He's kissing Santa; he's kissing Santa - how cute,'' said Joy Cross, 54, of Chatsworth as her Yorkshire terrier Yorkshire terrier, breed of small, spirited toy dog originated and developed in Yorkshire, England, in the mid-19th cent. It stands about 9 in. (22.8 cm) high at the shoulder and weighs from 4 to 7 lb (1.8–3.2 kg). Windsor lapped Santa's cheek at a ``Santa Claws'' photo shoot at Petsmart in West Hills on Sunday. ``Adorable. (The photographs) are going over the fireplace - above the stocking with his name on it.'' Across the nation, thousands of pets like Windsor are lining up for holiday glamour shots at Petsmarts, Petcos and Westfield Shoppingtown ``Santa Paws'' sessions. As pets replace children in the homes of aging baby boomers See generation X. , slobber slob·ber v. slob·bered, slob·ber·ing, slob·bers v.intr. 1. To let saliva or liquid spill out from the mouth; drool. 2. and hair grow thick on Santa's suit. But what better way to celebrate the holidays than to turn Max into a leading reindeer? Or for him to shmush a wish list into Santa's ear? ``This is a Christmas moment. We love this,'' said Crystal Herthel, 24, of Woodland Hills, whose Boston terrier Boston terrier, breed of small, lively nonsporting dog developed in the United States in the second half of the 19th cent. It stands between 14 and 17 in. (35.6–43.2 cm) high at the shoulder and weighs from 13 to 25 lb (5.9–11.3 kg). and miniature pinscher miniature pinscher, breed of lively toy dog originating in Germany in the late 19th cent. It stands from 10 to 12 in. (25.4–30.5 cm) high at the shoulder and weighs from 8 to 10 lb (3.6–4.5 kg). , wearing Christmas and hunting pullovers, had just cinched their Kodak moment. For Santa and his shutterbug shut·ter·bug n. Informal An enthusiastic amateur photographer. Noun 1. shutterbug - a photography enthusiast enthusiast, partizan, partisan - an ardent and enthusiastic supporter of some person or activity elves, timing is everything. At Petsmart, where half the revenue from each $9.99 photo goes to support animal-rescue groups, Christmas has gone to the dogs, cats, reptiles and birds. They wear antlers antlers metaphorical decoration for deceived husband. [Western Folklore: Jobes, 395] See : Cuckoldry atop their noggins, Santa caps over their ears, and holiday ribbons round their necks. And for one split second, each pays respects to the camera - and to poor ol' Santa. ``He's been peed on, pooed on, drooled on and scratched,'' said Debbie Regal, president of Valley Cats, the no-kill rescue group that operates out of the West Hills Petsmart. ``The cats want to take the beard off his face.'' On Sunday, 11 Valley Cats volunteers showcased 30 cats in need of homes. Last year, the Santa shoots made $700 for rescue group operations. Across the nation, Petsmart has helped get 2,133,200 pets adopted. Officials say Santa Claws sessions grow more popular each year and have now taken up each weekend in December. Now rabbits, hamsters, pythons, iguanas, feral cats and countless domestic cats and dogs Cats and Dogs A slang term referring to speculative stocks that have short or suspicious histories for sales, earnings, dividends, etc. Notes: In a bull market analysts will often mention that everything is going up, even the cats and dogs. - up to four at a time - stop for a dance in Santa's lap. ``I've had everything from Chihuahuas to 165-pound Rottweilers; it's fun,'' said Lewy Kodner, 51, of Canoga Park, a Santa volunteer for Valley Cats. ``The only thing that makes me nervous: The lizards and cats have little claws that sometimes get caught in my beard.'' On Sunday, Valley Cats volunteer Malcolm Scott did Santa duty before a Christmas tree Christmas tree Evergreen tree, usually decorated with lights and ornaments, to celebrate the Christmas season. The use of evergreen trees, wreaths, and garlands as symbols of eternal life was common among the ancient Egyptians, Chinese, and Hebrews. backdrop. On his head drizzled ``a little bit of sweat, a little bit of dog slobber.'' No hand wipes, said Scott, 49, of Canoga Park: ``I've got a beach towel.'' Next to him sat a pile of Milk Bones. ``I find a few perspicacious per·spi·ca·cious adj. Having or showing penetrating mental discernment; clear-sighted. See Synonyms at shrewd. [From Latin perspic bribes often help.'' Pet owners queued up for holiday shots, each eyeing the competition. Some spoke baby talk. Others used jingle bells and squeaky toys to coax winning smiles for the camera. Santa struggled to maneuver each animal into position - at one point manhandling a German shepherd on one side and a cocker spaniel-mix on the other. ``God, they're heavy,'' he said, commanding, ``sit, sit, sit.'' One golden retriever-chow mix looked horribly confused. ``She doesn't know what's going on Verb 1. know what's going on - be well-informed be on the ball, be with it, know the score, know what's what know - know how to do or perform something; "She knows how to knit"; "Does your husband know how to cook?" ,'' said owner Jim Sarubbi, 67, of Woodland Hills. ``If only I could get my granddaughter to sit with Santa.'' ``I think its purrrfect,'' gloated Kim Goldstein, 45, of Tarzana, whose black-and-gold tabby was a snapshot sensation. ``I would say its a Hanukkah moment.'' One chocolate Labrador mix, with moose ears and a Santa hat, looked like a deer in headlights upon Santa's lap. ``She looks scared to death, poor thing,'' said Doreen Morgan, 49, of Van Nuys. ``(But) I think it's worth it. ``It's good for the dog. It gives her a chance to celebrate the holiday. She's like our baby. It gives us a chance to see her with Santa Claus. For people who can't have kids, we can be a part of that, too.'' Dana Bartholomew, (818) 713-3730 dana.bartholomew(at)dailynews.com CAPTION(S): 2 photos Photo: (1 -- color) Kaitlin Deering, 8, kisses her dog, Allie, who in turn kisses Santa's beard in a photo shoot at Petsmart in West Hills. (2 -- color) Allie the dog and Malcolm Scott, filling in for Santa, both look tired from their wrestling match during a holiday photo shoot. John Lazar/Staff Photographer |
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