QUITO: When Diana Tupisa and Andrés Alcuunga decided to get married, they chose a rather unusual witness for their civil wedding: Luna, their pug puppy, who had her paw print on the wedding certificate.With its recent approval of “pet-friendly” weddings, Ecuadorian officials are embracing the role of furry friends in modern families. Elsewhere in Latin America, only human witnesses are allowed, although there are some exceptions in Argentina and Mexico.While Luna’s paw prints have no legal status, the gesture has sentimental value and more than 50 Ecuadorian couples have chosen to get married in front of their pets since May. “It’s so spectacular that she (Luna) is here,” Tupisa said after the ceremony in the capital Quito. The 38-year-old engineer said it was her husband’s idea to bring Luna, who wore a pink tulle gown for the occasion.Programmer Alkunga said animals “may not be able to talk to us or give us advice, but they will give us all the love they have.”
“Adapt to current needs”
The move shocked the bride’s mother, Luz Lima, but she made Luna’s dress herself. “It’s always better to choose someone who knows what they’re signing for,” Lima recalled telling the couple. But eventually, she embraced the idea. “This is modern time,” she said as she tried on Luna’s dress.Orton Rivadenera, director of Ecuador’s Civil Registry, said the policy was in line with contemporary family structures. “We are definitely adapting to these current modern needs,” he said. Ecuador’s latest census found that nearly 7.6 million of the country’s 19 million people own dogs and cats as pets, nearly twice the number of children 12 and under.After Alcuunga and Tupisa’s ceremony, Luna used her paw to stamp their marriage certificate, which also bore the couple’s signatures.The document reads “Symbolic Marriage Certificate,” with a special space for “your furry friend’s paw print.” “I have three dogs and a cat,” Tupisa said. “It would be nice if they were all here, but Luna represents (pets) on earth and in heaven.”(AFP)
