Planning to get hitched? 'The Big Apple' now lets your dog be an official witness to your wedding

For every devoted pet parent, every milestone feels incomplete without their furry companion by their side. From vacations to birthday celebrations, or even the most special day—your wedding—your beloved pup deserves a front-row seat. After all, they're not just pets; they are your family. Similarly, New York has welcomed the idea of making dogs a meaningful part of weddings, joining 29 other states that allow some pets to serve as wedding witnesses. Yes, if you are a New Yorker, you don't necessarily need your human companions as witnesses. 

As per a report in 100.7 WHUD, New York, the fourth-most populous state in the US, now allows a dog's paw print to be stamped onto a marriage certificate. Well, this innovative law is not restricted to only dogs. Instead of your dogs, cats, hamsters, and even rabbits, you can serve as an official witness to your wedding. Besides New York, Alabama, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, and Washington, D.C. allow some pets to be your "paw-some" witnesses at your wedding.

Never heard of this before? Well, brace yourself for something even bigger—according to an interesting report in Courtly, eight states have gone a little further, allowing pets to serve as wedding officiants. The states include Colorado, Illinois, Kansas, Maine, Nevada, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Washington, D.C. In a similar heartwarming story, a terminally ill Golden Retriever, Maybeline Joy, walked her mom, Anna (@maybelanddaffodilsmom on TikTok), down the aisle in a special but poignant moment. When the adorable Golden Retriever was diagnosed with cancer, Steven Carter and his bride, Ann, were sure to make Joy an important part of their wedding. 

From patiently watching her mom transform into a beautiful bride to seeing her for the first time in a gorgeous wedding gown and finally accompanying her down the aisle, Joy was undoubtedly the star of the wedding. "She knew in her heart what she was supposed to do and ran right up to her mommy! It filled my heart with so much joy and warmth knowing she made it through two cancer diagnoses and had the opportunity to start another chapter of life with me. It's like she knew I needed her there with me," Anna shared with PEOPLE. Notably, the Golden Retriever wasn’t supposed to escort her mother down the aisle, but it was as if she instinctively knew it was her duty.

"Maybeline said, 'Hold on, Daddy, I’m going to go get Mommy for you.' None of this was planned; a baby girl just knew this day was so special for her mommy, and she made it that much better. You would’ve never known she was diagnosed with two types of terminal cancer just two months before this day," Ann wrote in the caption. Interestingly, while talking to the outlet, Joy's mother revealed that her wedding gown had large, puffy sleeves. Instead of simply discarding them, she found a creative way to put them to use. And guess what she did? Well, she transformed the sleeves into a charming tutu for Maybel to wear. Additionally, to add an extra bridal touch, Anna crafted delicate arm bracelets and a bandana for Maybel, making her costume even more wedding guest-worthy.