Snakes, rats and rabbits: Santa Claus posed with Windsor-Essex pets. Take a have a look at how the images turned out

Yes, you’re seeing that proper — it is Santa Claus posing with a snake.

The jolly previous man does not solely make time to go to kids earlier than Christmas day, he additionally manages to go to some pets.

Slytherin the snake was considered one of about 70 pets that lined as much as meet Santa and seize a photograph in the course of the Windsor/Essex County Humane Society’s annual occasion. Proceeds from the occasion go in direction of supporting the group.

Ready to seize the second was Windsor photographer Barb Hedrick-Stewart. She’s the proprietor of At the Cottage Photography and focuses on taking skilled images of individuals’s pets.

“I expect any animal to sit for about point-five seconds and I’m still going to get great shots,” stated Hedrick-Stewart.

“I have a few tricks up my sleeve that I use: weird noises, laying on the floor with them, treats —you name it, I’ve tried it.”

Hedrick-Stewart has been doing the gig for 2 years now, however this was just one of some instances the place she’s photographed pets with Santa.

PHOTOS | Take a have a look at the pets from throughout Windsor-Essex that met Santa:

“I never knew that was going to come through the door next. I literally got seconds notice of what was coming in,” she stated.

But she received a little bit of a heads up for considered one of Santa’s guests: Slytherin the snake.

As somebody who’s “petrified” of snakes, Hedrick-Stewart says when requested to {photograph} Slytherin with Santa, she initially stated no.

But the following evening, she agreed.

Soon after saying sure, she realized that the digital camera lens she had, wasn’t one that might zoom in that shut, which meant she’d must get nearer to Slytherin than she needed.

“I was slowly inching my way up, little bit closer, little bit closer… and then I ran back behind my tripod and they took Slytherin out. And I was like ‘phewf.'”

She additionally received a shot of Santa jokingly trying relieved after Slytherin was taken away.

Hedrick-Stewart says she additionally captured a sick cat’s closing Christmas with Santa and a tiny rat with a Santa hat on.

“That was a really fun shoot,” she stated.

“I felt like I was in a Disney kind of setting and I was you know doing Santa and a Disney character. But the rat actually had quite the personality.”

‘I’m going to take my rabbits to see Santa’

Also in line to satisfy Santa: Sarah Busher’s 5 rabbits.

The 25-year-old stated she received her first rabbit, Bun Bun, in 2020 and earlier than she knew it she had one other 4 others: Alfie, Potatoe, Jwoww and Snooki.

This was the primary yr she took all of them to see Santa.

“I am obsessed with my rabbits. I love them so much,” she stated.

“They’re my children… and you take your kids to see Santa, I’m going to take my rabbits to see Santa.”

While her rabbits did nicely, Busher stated one triggered a little bit of bother.

“I was afraid that they would maybe chew a hole in Santa’s coat … apparently they did a little bit. Apparently Snooki, which was the one Santa was holding, she was starting to nibble on [the] fluff of his coat, which he thought was actually really funny.”

In subsequent yr’s picture, Busher stated she’s going to attempt to get some vacation hats on them.