Wedding party carries rescue puppies instead of bouquets as reminder to ‘adopt, don’t shop’

Dombrowski volunteers at Secondhand Hounds, an animal rescue based in Eden Prairie, Minnesota. Like any shelter, Secondhand Hounds is dedicated to the ‘adopt, don’t shop’ campaign — a movement that seeks to speak out against pet shops and breeders and bring attention to the ample animals available in refuges. In order to spread ‘adopt, don’t shop’ awareness, Secondhand Hounds has created puppy parties, a too-good-to-be-true programme that brings adoptable and adorable dogs straight to homes — or even weddings. 

On their big day, Dombrowski and Ziemer surprised their families and unsuspecting wedding party with a litter of 13 five-week-old pit bull puppies. “They all thought we were heading outside to take pictures and to their surprise and delight, there were pit bull puppies,” said Dombrowski. “They couldn’t believe it. The wedding party was so excited that the photographers had a hard time lining everyone up for pictures because of their awe and excitement.” The extra-special puppy party was both organised and photographed by Alycia Faye Petrie, the programme’s coordinator who also happens to be a professional photographer. Dombrowski hopes that each little poké-dog will remind the puppy-loving public that animal refuges are full of loving animals looking for foster parents and forever homes.