Instead of flowers, Samantha’s bridesmaids carried puppies!
As a lifelong animal lover, Samantha Clark’s heart would ache when she’d think of all the dogs and cats living in shelters, still waiting for their forever homes. And as she was planning her wedding, she saw a picture on Pinterest of a bridesmaid holding a puppy… and it gave her an adorable idea that truly changed lives!
“Sam, you’re crying. What’s wrong?” Samantha Duckert’s fiancé, Kendel Clark, asked. Startled, Samantha put down her phone and quickly brushed away her tears. “I was looking at the animal rescue site again,” she sniffled. “Those poor dogs…it’s not fair! All they want is someone to love them.” One of the things Kendel loved most about Samantha was her tender heart. It’s what led her to become a neonatal nurse and made her a doting doggy mom to their three pups. But sometimes Samantha’s compassion filled her with sadness. “Babe, you can’t save all of them,” Kendel soothed, hugging her. “I know,” Samantha sighed. But I feel like I can do more to help, she thought. And one day, as she scrolled through Pinterest looking for inspiration for her wedding bouquets, one image stopped her short: a bridesmaid holding a puppy. This is it! Samantha beamed. This is how I can help more shelter animals!
A sweet twist on tradition
Her mind whirling, Samantha showed Kendel the photo. “What if my bridesmaids each carry a puppy from a rescue? And we could give guests information about how to adopt one or another animal from that shelter?” she bubbled.
“I don’t know…are you sure they won’t bark and get all crazy?” Kendel asked.
“It will be perfect, trust me!” Samantha said, and seeing her smile, Kendel agreed.
Thrilled, Samantha called the Aheinz 57 Pet Rescue in De Soto, Iowa. “What a great idea!” the adoption coordinator, Kim Applegate, enthused, though she couldn’t promise the shelter would have puppies available months down the road. But fate stepped in and eight weeks before Samantha’s September 2017 wedding, the shelter received a litter of six Chihuahua/dachshund mix puppies. They’d be just the right age for adoption when Samantha and Kendel tied the knot.
This is going to be the best day ever! Samantha mused.
Happily ever after
Samantha had sworn the bridal party to secrecy, and when the bridesmaids started down the aisle, each cuddling a cute ball of fur, the guests gasped and cooed in awe. “My goodness! Puppies!” “They are sooo cute!” I knew they’d be a hit! Samantha beamed. So that the puppies wouldn’t distract from the ceremony, Kim nestled them in a stroller off to the side. But afterward, guests got to snuggle the pups, and just as Samantha had hoped, Kim was flooded with requests to adopt them. Soon, each puppy— and several other dogs—had found loving homes. And after posting her wedding photos on Facebook, even more pets got happy endings. Today all of the puppies are thriving. Ruthie, adopted by Samantha’s photographer, is happily spoiled by her three human brothers. Carrick keeps his family entertained with his endless quest to catch his tail. Chip relishes cuddle time. Lily finds her kitty brothers the purr-fect playmates. Cleary loves snuggling under a blanket and watching TV. And Buckalew loves to give kisses and play with his fuzzy sister.
“It went even better than I ever imagined,” cheers Samantha, now a mom to a 1-year-old daughter, Murphy June. “Those puppies added so much joy and love— an extra little sprinkle of perfect to our wedding. But best of all, they opened hearts, and when hearts are open, wonderful things happen!”
“They added so much joy and love—an extra little sprinkle of perfect to our wedding” (left)