Two dogs tie the knot in a wedding ceremony at a care home

Two dogs have tied the knot in a wedding ceremony at a care home.

Poodle Flossie and labradoodle Boy made their relationship official on 29 September after a year of doggy dating and a litter of pups.

The wedding was the idea of the dogs’ owner Maleka Clarke, 38, the director of nursing at the Ethan Allen Residence in Burlington, Vermont, USA.

The pups got dressed up for the wedding, with Flossie wearing a wedding veil, tiara, dimante collar and tuli skirt, as she walked up the aisle to How Much Is That Doggy In The Window?.

Flossie and Boy together. Owner Maleka Clarke, 38, decided to marry her two dogs, Flossie and Boy, at the Ethan Allen Residence nursing home where she works in Burlington after Flossie had a litter of seven puppies. See story SWNYwed.This is the moment two pooches swore to stay together ?til death do them BARK in a wedding ceremony at a care home. Flossie, a poodle, and Boy, a labradoodle, made their relationship official on September 29 after a year of doggy dating and a litter of pups. The pup-tials were dreamt up by the dogs? owner Maleka Clarke, 38, the director of nursing at the Ethan Allen Residence in Burlington. Flossie looked every inch the bride in a wedding veil, tiara, diamant? collar and tulle skirt as she padded up the aisle to the sounds of How Much Is That Doggy In The Window.
(Picture: Ethan Allen Residence/SWNS.COM)

Boy wore a collar and bow tie and ate dog treats during the vows as 80 guests, most of whom were residents at the home, cheered them on.

They sang rousing hymns including ‘He’s Got The Whole World In His Paws’ as Flossie and Boy lapped up the attention.

The newlyweds, both around a year old, dug into a wedding cake featuring bones made out of peanut butter. Dog guests were given goody bags full of treats, chew toys and tennis balls.

Maleka decided to stage the wedding when she found out that Flossie was expecting pups.

She said: ‘I got Boy from an Amish farm and I have always said that he is a good Amish dog.

Flossie wearing her bridal veil. Owner Maleka Clarke, 38, decided to marry her two dogs, Flossie and Boy, at the Ethan Allen Residence nursing home where she works in Burlington after Flossie had a litter of seven puppies. See story SWNYwed.This is the moment two pooches swore to stay together ?til death do them BARK in a wedding ceremony at a care home. Flossie, a poodle, and Boy, a labradoodle, made their relationship official on September 29 after a year of doggy dating and a litter of pups. The pup-tials were dreamt up by the dogs? owner Maleka Clarke, 38, the director of nursing at the Ethan Allen Residence in Burlington. Flossie looked every inch the bride in a wedding veil, tiara, diamant? collar and tulle skirt as she padded up the aisle to the sounds of How Much Is That Doggy In The Window.
(Picture: Ethan Allen Residence/SWNS.COM)

‘Good Amish men have to get married and so when I discovered Flossie was pregnant with Boy’s pups, it seemed like such a fun idea to have them tie the knot.

‘We were joking around but the crazy idea took hold. I spent months planning it.

‘I made the collar for Flossie to wear and we got the veil from a wedding teddy bear. I made her skirt with tulle.’

The wedding was intended to be a shotgun wedding but Flossie gave birth to her seven pups early, two weeks before the big day.

Maleka said: ‘I didn’t want her to get pregnant. I separated her from Boy when she was on heat but they obviously found a way.

‘I kept thinking she was just getting a bit heavy but then the vet told me she was pregnant.

‘The puppies were at the wedding. We put little blue bows on their collars and they arrived in a wagon.’

Maleka planned the wedding in meticulous detail with the help of Cameron Segal, 24, development manager at the Living Well Group which runs the home.

Cameron said: ‘These two dogs have brought so much joy to our residents, 90% of whom have dementia.

‘They feel calmer and comforted by petting Boy and Flossie and so it was only right that they were all involved in the wedding.’

Flossie and Boy together during the ceremony. Owner Maleka Clarke, 38, decided to marry her two dogs, Flossie and Boy, at the Ethan Allen Residence nursing home where she works in Burlington after Flossie had a litter of seven puppies. See story SWNYwed.This is the moment two pooches swore to stay together ?til death do them BARK in a wedding ceremony at a care home. Flossie, a poodle, and Boy, a labradoodle, made their relationship official on September 29 after a year of doggy dating and a litter of pups. The pup-tials were dreamt up by the dogs? owner Maleka Clarke, 38, the director of nursing at the Ethan Allen Residence in Burlington. Flossie looked every inch the bride in a wedding veil, tiara, diamant? collar and tulle skirt as she padded up the aisle to the sounds of How Much Is That Doggy In The Window.
(Picture: Ethan Allen Residence/SWNS.COM)

Residents helped local florists decorate home’s living room with flowers for the wedding and posed in a photo booth with bones and dog masks.

The residents cuddled the puppies throughout the ceremony and read out poems about love and dogs at the reception.

Maleka says she plans on giving the puppies away to good homes while their parents will stay in the home and luxuriate in their wedded bliss.

She said: ‘The entire wedding from concept to execution has brought joy. It was fun for the sheer joy of having fun.

‘The night before I was up late making a wedding dress for a poodle. It doesn’t get much madder than that.’