Corwen pet owner takes paw-trait with 17 cats and dogs

After a lot of effort, Kathy Smith captured this family paw-trait

A pet owner took the perfect family paw-trait after spending days trying to get her 17 dogs and cats to sit still.

The effort was worth it, as the final result shows her eight pooches and nine felines gazing stoically into the camera.

Kathy Smith, 30, from Corwen, called her home "quite chaotic".

However, she managed to get her 17-strong pack perfectly lined up for a split second before they ran off to play again.

"I was so thrilled when I realised I'd captured this shot - it's like a little family photo," she said.

"I love all of my pets so much, so I was really happy when I managed to get them all posing together - despite it not being easy to do.

"I kept trying to get photos of the cats and dogs all together but some of them were always out of frame."

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Her dogs were happy posing, as Ms Smith held a handful of treats to keep their attention.

However, the cats were a bit more tricky.

"I now know the real meaning behind herding cats - I had to just keep picking them up and putting them back until they stayed," she said.

Kathy has three German Shepherds, three border collies, a mongrel and a Yorkshire terrier Maltese cross

"It took about three attempts but in the end I managed to keep them there for a couple of seconds and get the photo before they were off again," Ms Smith added.

"We live in quite a chaotic house but you get used to it."

Her three-bedroom semi-detached home has become a sanctuary for pets and other wildlife she has rescued.

As well as the cats and dogs, she also has four budgies, fish and a baby hedgehog.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the dogs were easier to control