Local photographer again taking pet portraits to raise funds for service dog for vet

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 18 March 2026 at 9:11 pm

Photos courtesy of Ashley Bringenberg Photography: These dogs have been featured in a previous Pooch Playoffs.

BATAVIA – Ashley Bringenberg, a photographer from Barre with a studio in Batavia, is again offering to take portraits of dogs in a fundraiser to get a service dog for a veteran.

Ashley Bringenberg Photography is hosting its fourth annual Pooch Playoffs fundraiser to benefit WNY Heroes’ Pawsitive for Heroes program.

Ashley Bringenberg, right, presents a ceremonial check for $7,500 to WNY Heroes’ Pawsitive for Heroes last October. The money went towards training a service dog for a veteran.

“We have donated over $14,000 to this program over the past 3 years and we aim to donate an additional $7,500 this year,” Bringenberg said.

She is offering to take portraits of dogs for $125. Those dogs will then be entered in the Poock Playoffs where 32 dogs are entered in a bracket-style photo contest.

She needs a some more dogs to have a full bracket of 32. Portrait sessions are happening from now until the end of March and the competition kicks off in mid April, featuring 32 dogs vying for the title of “WNY’s Ulti-Mutt Cutie!”

Each round, participating pups will be paired up for head-to-head online voting, with winners advancing until one dog is crowned champion. The Final Four earn special prizes, and the top dog will claim the grand prize, along with ultimate bragging rights!

“Every year I’m reminded how much this community loves both their dogs and their veterans,” Bringenberg said. “Pooch Playoffs brings those two things together in a way that’s joyful, adorable, and genuinely impactful.”

For a $125 donation to WNY Heroes’ Pawsitive for Heroes, participants receive a custom dog portrait session, a personalized photo keychain, and a swag bag full of goodies.

Spots filled on a first-come, first-served basis. Interested pet parents should visit ashleybringenberg.com/pooch to enter their pup.

Local businesses are also invited to sponsor the event.