Claus and Paws : Santas for the Furry Set Lure Holiday Shoppers to Pet Stores and Malls

It took almost five minutes to get Muffie Hopkins, 5, to sit calmly on Santa Claus’ lap Saturday.

The white Lhasa apso looked up, looked down and squirmed frantically, not quite sure what to make of this man in a white beard and red suit who was offering her biscuits.

Meantime, Muffie’s owners, Mishele and John Hopkins of Mission Viejo, shopped for holiday pet gifts at the Anaheim Hills Petco store, which sponsored the “Holiday Pet Portraits.”

Taking advantage of the holiday season, pet stores, shopping malls and animal shelters in Orange County are inviting local veterinarians and others who work with animals to play Santa Claus for local residents’ pets.

Though proceeds from the ventures are usually donated to animal welfare organizations, the events can also enhance the image of a business and increase its revenue.

“People want something more than just a store where they can go and buy something,” said Laura Colling, advertising and marketing manager for Petco Pet Food and Supplies, the 195-store nationwide chain based in San Diego.

“People love pets like they love their own children, and they want one-on-one service and extra attention,” she said. “Everyone carries the same pet products, so service is one of the few ways left to differentiate ourselves from our competitors.”

Pet stores aren’t the only ones playing Santa. Laguna Hills Mall, for example, held its fourth annual “Santa Claws and Paws” event last weekend to benefit the San Clemente Animal Shelter. This year’s event raised $3,300 and attracted more than 400 dogs, cats, birds, gerbils, a possum and an iguana.

“It’s mainly a community service. When people bring animals into the mall, naturally they can’t shop,” said Arlene Eisenstadt-Kaye, the mall’s spokeswoman.

She noted, though, that Russo’s, a mall pet store that helped sponsor the event, did a brisk weekend business in faux reindeer antlers for animals.

Such projects, Eisenstadt-Kaye said, also enhance the mall’s image.

“When we do market research focus groups, people often mention ‘Santa Claws and Paws,’ ” she said. “One year, a woman even pulled out a picture of her pet on Santa’s lap.”

Moreover, the animal event garnered Laguna Hills Mall a prestigious merit award for community service in 1990 from the International Council of Shopping Centers.

“Malls have to build a relationship with their community,” said Keith Fox, an industry spokesman. “If people don’t feel a strong tie to Laguna Hills, they can just drive 15 miles down the road to South Coast Plaza.”

In fact, the Laguna Hills event is so successful that when former mall employee Jill Strief relocated three years ago to the Peninsula Shopping Center in Rolling Hills Estates, she started a “Santa Paws” operation there.

“It brings a lot of people--including new people--to the center,” Strief said of the annual event, proceeds from which go to the Los Angeles Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. “I believe the stores’ sales increase. People have come back as a result of seeing things in a window.”

“All promotions we do hopefully bring people back to shop,” Strief said.

But for pet businesses especially, a visit from Santa can improve the bottom line. In 1991, Americans spent between $10 billion and $12 billion on their pets, according to the Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council in Washington.

Determining just how much of an increase in business can be traced to such promotional events is difficult, Petco’s Colling said, because the holiday season is usually the most profitable period of the year for most stores anyway.

Caroline Schlott, manager of the Anaheim Hills Petco, said she is convinced that photo promotions increase store profits.

“During days when benefits like pet photos were being held, business picked up between 30% and 40%,” Schlott said.

The company’s customers appreciate the effort.

“Petco seems to care about the needs and necessities of people who care about pets,” said Muffie’s “grandmother,” Linda Yrisarri of Anaheim Hills.

“They cater to pets, and they do things like this,” said Yrisarri, a faithful Petco customer. “It’s hard to find places that do pictures.”

In 1991, Petco’s Yuletide event raised more than $30,000 for a variety of animal-welfare organizations, Colling said.

This year, shelters and veterinary hospitals are also getting into the act.

Victoria Valdez, owner of the American Cat Hospital in Orange, is inviting a veterinary technician to play Santa Claus at her medical office Saturday and Sunday.

Others with Santa in their holiday plans are Irvine Animal Care Center and Friends of Mission Viejo Animals.

Allison Jauch, vice president for adoption and publicity for the Mission Viejo group, said it hopes that its Santa shots will raise $1,000 for the nonprofit shelter.

“We know other groups are successful doing it,” she said. “It’s a festive and happy time of the year, and people like being able to include their pet in a family outing. And the pictures are so cute.”