naturalpet
the Bride, the Groom and the Dog Here Comes…
Saying ‘I Do’ with Your Dog by Sandra Murphy
O
liver Mullins, Pekingese, walked down the aisle with Katherine Austing, flower girl. Although he’s quite the social animal, Oliver became a bit restless during the ceremony because he’s used to more action than talk. Ever since puppyhood, Oliver has proved his mettle, traveling the motor- cycle race circuit in a motor home with his owners, Rachel and Charlie Mullins.
“Oliver does everything with us, so he had to be in the wedding too,” explains Charlie, a professional rider. “He’s used to crowds.”
Rachel’s family lives in Pennsylvania, while Charlie’s resides in Iowa. Everyone met up for the wedding at a moun- tain church 90 minutes from the couple’s home in Hickory, North Carolina. “It’s fun to include your
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dog in your special day,” says Charlie. “For us, it also eased any tensions and reminded us to laugh and enjoy the day.” Further north, in the Finger Lakes region of Central New York, Angela Winfield and Lance Lyons married at another scenic outdoor spot, this one lakeside at the historic Aurora Inn. Winfield and Lyons have been legally blind since the ages of 4 and 29, respectively. They met while learning to work with their guide dogs. “For several weeks, we took two trips a day with the dogs and trainer to learn and bond with the dogs,” says Winfield, noting, “Lance and I bonded, too.” Ogden, a black Labrador and golden retriever mix, walked down the aisle with the maid of honor as the flower dog. Riddler, a German shepherd and golden retriever mix, served as the ring bearer and escorted the groom to his position to await the bride. Both dogs wore tuxedo collars with satin buttons and bowties, matching cuffs and fresh flower boutonnières.
Drew and Amy Scheeler’s Yorkshire terrier, Reese
The couple relates amusing stories of a few small complica- tions. Service dogs are inventive creatures and in this case, their contributions included unfasten- ing the safety pins in order to remove their formal cuffs and
photo by Anthony Winfield
photo by, Scott Ellis
photo by Ken Shepard/Azzura Photography photo by, Scott Ellis
Lori and Ben Newman Lance Lyons and Angela Winfield
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