Talmage Farm Agway continued a longstanding holiday tradition — and a perennial favorite — this month: the chance for to have furry and feathered family members pose for photos with Santa Claus.
Dogs, ducks, cats, and even a couple of owls visited the Agway store in Riverhead Dec. 9 and 10 — with their human family members — to take advantage of the free event.
“Over the years, we have had pet chickens, some dressed up in Christmas attire, a goose, a pet skunk, occasional reptiles, bunnies, guinea pigs, miniature donkeys and horses, goats, sheep, horses and once even a thoroughbred racehorse in the showroom to see Santa,” Talmage Farm Agway General Manager William Van Schaick said.
“Until the widespread use of digital cameras and phones, we used to use a Polaroid camera and the people would wait around for the photos to develop,” Van Schaick said. “Now in the digital age, we collect their email addresses and email the photo or photos, which gives the pet parents the ability to make them into Christmas Cards, screen savers, put on gift boxes, frame, print and share, etc.”
Each pet attending gets a free gift from Santa. “This year, we gave away a really nice Pet Paw Christmas Stocking with a tennis ball dog toy, or a rope frisbee toy, or cat toy, and had other specific gifts for small animals and others that attend,” he said.
RiverheadLOCAL photos by Emil Breitenbach Jr.
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