Man’s Best Friend Could Be Man’s Best Man

ly. The daily weigh-ins confirmed that Dorie was growing. After just a couple of days she was back to her birth weight, and she just kept on going.

As the days passed the three pups’ eyes opened and they all started walking and exploring and playing together. Any fears and concerns I had started to dissipate and were replaced by unexpected joy. Cammie was a wonderful mom raising three happy, confident, and outgoing girls who saw each other as litter mates.

Fostering a puppy and offering my breeding dog as a wet nurse and Mom was a unique and wonderful experience. To be able to offer help (both human and canine) to others that could use a hand was extra special and a reminder that this happens in nature all the time.

Today all the pups are in their forever homes and thriving and bringing joy. I recently heard that Dorie has taken to carrying a toy in her mouth wherever she goes, which is not so typical of a Berner, but very common for Goldens. I like to think that Cammie and her pups taught her a thing or two.

Alice Ayres is a therapy dog owner, Golden retriever breeder and Strategic

Financial Analyst in the Finance Dept. at Rutland Regional Medical Center.

Nearly two-thirds of dog owners want to get their pets involved in their wedding day—acting as ring bearers, bridesmaids, and even the best man, according to a new poll.

Of 2,000 dog owners, 60% already knew someone who included their dog in their wedding.

The most popular roles for dogs on the big day were ring bearer (50%), flower girl (17%) and page boy (13%).

And just shy of one in ten (9%) would even have their dog as the groom’s best man.

It also emerged that couples would be prepared to spend an average of $75 to get their pooches ready for the nuptials.

“This poll reflects the growing trend of newlyweds wanting to involve pets in their big day, whether it’s to walk them down the aisle or be a ringbearer,” said Xavier Flamand, of Amazon Handmade which launched its new wedding store and commissioned the poll.

The survey also found that a full 93 percent believe that because a dog is part of the family, they should be involved at the wedding. 76% of respondents agree that guests would react positively to having dogs involved at a wedding.