Quito: When Diana Tupiza and Andres Alquinga decided to get married, they chose an unusual witness for the civil marriage ceremony: Luna, their Pekingese puppy who left her paw print on the marriage certificate.With “pet friendly” weddings recently authorized, Ecuadorian officials are taking the role of furry friends into modern families. Elsewhere in Latin America only human witnesses are allowed, although Argentina and Mexico have made some exceptions.While Luna’s paw prints have no legal recognition, the gesture holds sentimental significance, and since May more than 50 Ecuadorian couples have decided to get married in front of their pets. “She (Luna) is here, it’s really fantastic,” Tupiza said after his 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.Alquinga, a programmer, said animals “may not be able to talk to us, or give us advice, but they are there to give us all their love.”
‘Adapting to current needs’
The move was a blow to the bride’s mother, Luz Lima, who nevertheless took it upon herself to make Luna’s dress. “It’s always better to choose someone…who knows what they’re signing,” Lima told the couple. But finally, he came up with the idea. “It’s modern times,” she said during Luna’s dress fitting.Oton Rivadeneira, director of Ecuador’s civil registry, said the policy is more in line with contemporary family structures. “We’re definitely adapting to these current, modern needs,” he said. Ecuador’s latest census found that of its 19 million people, about 7.6 million have dogs and cats as pets – almost double the number of children 12 and under.After Alquinga and Tupiza’s ceremony, Luna placed her paw stamp on their marriage license, which was also signed by the couple.“Symbolic marriage certificate,” reads the document, with a special space denoting “your furry friend’s paw print.” “I have three dogs and a cat,” Tupiza said. “It would be great if they were all here, but Luna represents those (pets) who are on earth as well as those in heaven.”(AFP)