Marrying a dog

Well, not really. But she was able to get her story in the NY Times wedding section yesterday. "Lilly Smartelli, 55, of Phoenix, is dreaming about marrying her best friend, Bernie, who happens to be her dog. The reality is that she is dying from a form of pulmonary fibrosis, a respiratory disease. She donated a kidney 12 years ago to a childhood friend in Detroit and is still trying to save lives, while at the same time, keeping alive her own childhood dream: to know the joy of a wedding day.

But there will be no actual wedding day. She is pushing the idea of marrying a dog as a fund-raising event that will draw attention to organ-donor groups and animal welfare shelters that lack proper funding, “and still get to experience the thrill of having a wedding, even if it’s a fake wedding.” She is 'marrying' Bernie, a 9-year-old cocker spaniel-poodle mix.