BY KAREN BOSSICK

Build a gingerbread-like dog house and get your four-legged buddies’ pictures taken with Santa Claus.

Mountain Humane is holding a Holiday Open House from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 26, at Penny’s Barn at the animal welfare campus in Croy Canyon a couple miles west of Hailey. There’ll be refreshments, free photos with Santa taken by Nate Liles and fun family activities.

And the shelter will kick off a month worth of free adoptions to ensure all its homeless animals are Home for the Holidays.

The price of admission? Unopened cat and dog food donations or cash donations to restock Mountain Humane’s Pet Food Bank.

Pets in attendance should be on a leash or in a carrier.

“We’ll have a gingerbread dog house on display in the lobby and some fun dog bone decorations to spruce things up.  It should be lots of fun,” said Annie McCauley, executive director of Mountain Humane.

McCauley said Mountain Humane has between 40 and 50 animals that it would love to place in homes for the holiday. They include litters of beautiful kittens in all colors and several puppies, including shepherd mixes. There also are some older cats for those who prefer more sedate quiet companions.

Mountain Humane has been busy helping other overcrowded Idaho shelters in the past few months, McCauley said.

It also is providing low-cost vet services, including vaccination and microchip services, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Mondays.

And it’s offering dog training classes and pet food assistance.

WANT TO HELP?

If you’d like to donate pet food but can’t make it to the Holiday Open House, you can drop it off at the Barkin’ thrift store on Main Street Hailey across form the Hailey Public Library. (Pssst. You can pick up some new Christmas decorations and a couple ugly Christmas sweaters and white elephant gifts while you’re there).

You can also drop food off at Mountain Humane or in the collection bins at the end of the registers in  Atkinsons Markets in Ketchum and Hailey.