(Courtesy photo)
The four-legged and two-legged creatures at Santa Barbara Humane are putting their paws together to thank Santa Barbara photographer Valerie Villa for her donation of $1,261 to benefit cats and dogs in need.
Villa, owner of Images by Valerie Photography, recently wrapped up months of work she put in on a Pooch Playoffs contest to raise the money.
This was Villa’s second annual fundraiser after she learned of a group of photographers hosting their own Pooch Playoffs nationwide last year. Villa created the event in Santa Barbara County to support Santa Barbara Humane.
In the Pooch Playoffs competition model, Villa photographed 16 local dogs, donated their entry fees to Santa Barbara Humane, and organized an online bracket to determine the “ulti-mutt cutie” in Santa Barbara County based on their selected pet portraits.
Over the course of two weeks, more than 1,300 votes were cast on the Images by Valerie website to select the cutest canine. Ultimately, Asher, a three-year-old terrier mix owned by the Luikart family, was crowned the 2022 champion.
Pet House, Blenders in the Grass, Santa Barbara Costal Candles, Scarlett Begonia, and Target Santa Barbara were among the local companies that stepped in to help Villa create swag bags for Asher and the other top-placing dogs in the Pooch Playoffs. All participants received a monthly planner designed by Villa, featuring images of the 2021 Pooch Playoffs participants.
Villa then entered Asher into the international competition of 28 dogs from local Pooch Playoffs around the globe with 4,628 votes cast.
Together, the photographers participating in Pooch Playoffs raised $43,568 for their selected animal-related charities.
“We were able to come together in a fun way that everyone could enjoy and help support dogs in need locally,” Villa said. “It’s amazing how we can change so much in our community if we all work together, and this is truly one of those moments I am proud to be a part of.”
“We are so incredibly grateful to Valerie for all her hard work in creating and running the Pooch Playoffs,” said Kerri Burns, Santa Barbara Humane CEO. “Her donation will make such a big difference in the lives of the animals at Santa Barbara Humane.”