Go FETCH

What does it take to create a pet portrait?

If you ask Jamie Hayes, it takes liberal amounts of doggie treats and peanut butter, a crate full of noisy toys like squeaky rubber ducks and jangly chains, and years of practice at whistling in just the right pitch at just the right moment.

Oh, and patience. An abundance.

Of course, it also helps that Hayes is a dog lover, and skilled at building rapport with dogs on brief acquaintance. Working at Hayes & Fisk Photography on Parham Road, he frequently films children and pets and notes that "babies and dogs are surprisingly alike" when it comes to what’s needed for a good portrait.

"They have to trust you," Hayes says, "and know you're a good person."

After years of photographing pets and children, he has honed this ability to such a degree that the magnetism works even when he is not consciously trying to attract attention.

With a laugh, he tells the story of a recent plane trip with his business partner, Mary Fisk-Taylor, in which she ordered him in mock exasperation to avoid looking at any young passengers.

"Don't you make eye contact with a single child," Fisk-Taylor told him, having seen him playfully interact with kids on previous flights.

"So I don't have to explain why you're not a creepy old man!"

Tricks and teamwork
Back in his studio on a chilly February day, however, Hayes needed every bit of magnetism he could summon, and every attention-getting trick in his arsenal, to enlist the cooperation of nine-year-old Maggie.

A mixed-breed rescue dog adopted by the Finley family, Maggie clearly wanted to accommodate Hayes and her owners, but was confused about what was expected of her.

In their most syrupy voices, 11-year-old Kara Finley and her mother, Cyndi, repeatedly coaxed Maggie to pose for a portrait, while Hayes dispensed treats, advice, and the occasional whistle – designed to make Maggie perk up her ears for a photo.

Meanwhile, from the back of the room, five-year-old Chase Finley chimed in with giggles and occasional commentary as he cuddled with Hayes' dog, Theodore E. "Teddy" Graham.

"He could fit in my backpack!" Chase crowed exuberantly at the cheerful pooch contentedly nestled under his arm.

Watching in amusement as his mother and sister struggled to drag, bribe, poke and prod Maggie into the desired positions, Chase piped up, "We should have brought her woobie."

Maggie's woobie, his mother explained, is a pink stuffed horse the same size as Maggie. It was originally given to Kara, but "Maggie took it for herself."

And in its dilapidated, much-loved state, Cyndi suggested with a smile, Maggie's woobie would most definitely not be picture-presentable.

Birthday parties for charity
While plenty of pet owners endure the trials of a portrait session simply to produce a treasured photo for the mantel, the Finley family took on the challenge for an additional reason: to support FETCH a Cure.

Established to raise awareness of pet cancers and to help families pay for life-saving treatments, FETCH opened a veterinary facility in 2016 that was the first of its kind in Central Virginia. Until Advanced Radiation Treatment Center set up shop on Staples Mill Road, families seeking treatment for pet cancers had to travel to Leesburg or to Raleigh, N.C.

This year, in support of the organization's mission, Hayes & Fisk Photography has teamed up with FETCH for a new fundraiser: a custom Tails of RVA book featuring portraits of local families with their pets.

Through the end of March, when clients book a pet portrait package at the studio, the business will donate $100 of the $250 fee to support FETCH, and the family will see their furry companions immortalized both inside the book and on the cover.

For Kara Finley – who is splitting the cost of the photo with her mother -- Tails of RVA is one of many FETCH fundraisers she has supported and organized over the past four years.

Cyndi Ripley recalled that shortly before Kara turned seven, a family dog was diagnosed with cancer.

"So, for her seventh birthday, Kara wanted all her friends to bring money instead of presents," Cyndi said. "She raised $1,000 [for FETCH a Cure] as a seven-year-old, and kept doing it [every birthday].

"In four years, she's raised about $4,000."

Woobie time
Ninety minutes – and copious amounts of doggie treats – after the session began, Hayes had an ample number of photos.

Maggie and her human handlers, spent from their efforts, could head to their home near Willow Lawn.

Kara's fundraising for FETCH had a fresh boost from the Tails of RVA donation.

And Maggie – who was adopted as a puppy from a kill shelter in Petersburg – was assured of her place in history and her legacy in the book of portraits.

At last, she could go home and rest with her woobie.

To schedule a pet portrait session, new and existing clients of Hayes & Fisk can call 740-9307 or email mary@hayesandfisk.com.

FETCH a Cure hosts a monthly Pet Loss Support Group at its offices. For information about support, or to participate in fundraisers, visit www.fetchacure.org.