GREECE, N.Y. — After a long search, newlyweds from Greece were reunited with their lost dog, who ran off moments before they were married on Friday.
Rocky is a 13 lb., 2-and-a-half-year-old dog that looks like a miniature Husky. He is gray, white and slightly black, and is about 18 inches tall and beloved by his owners, Stephanie Woodward and Ryan Chalmers.
"He’s been our baby for our entire relationship," said Stephanie.
"He’s part of our family," added Ryan.
As the couple planned the wedding, Rocky would be included.
"We’ve been calling it our backup wedding because coronavirus has already changed so many of our plans. So to have Rocky involved in our wedding still was really meaningful to us," said Stephanie. "He was going to walk me down the aisle. My dad died when I was 16 and Rocky was my escort down."
But 10 minutes before the ceremony at Artisan Church, an anxious Rocky slipped away from a groomsman and ran off. The couple delayed the wedding to search, then rushed through the ceremony and resumed the search.
The couple says Rescued Treasures Lost and Found Pets set up a trap to catch the dog, and that it was thanks to community tips that helped them narrow down his location.
The happy couple can now celebrate their new life and a new start.