Couple in China gets married in animal shelter with 200 puppies as guests

For the biggest day of their lives, a couple in China held their wedding ceremony in their dog shelter, with 200 rescued dogs and over 300 volunteers in attendance.

According to the South China Morning Post, the groom ran a successful construction business in Tianjin before the company took a turn in 2020.

Yang, 31, had to sell almost all his possessions, including his house and two cars, to pay his employees before declaring bankruptcy.

Drawing on his past, where he lost five puppies to illness as a child, Yang dedicated his time to rescuing stray dogs.

SCMP reported that he eventually established the shelter, which housed just 10 dogs, using his savings and managing it independently.

At the time, he only had 23 yuan (S$4.10) in his pocket.

For the shelter to survive, Yang then reached out for support and recruited volunteers to help him.

And that was where he met his wife.

The perfect venue

Yang met his wife, 25-year-old Zhao (transliteration), when she volunteered at the shelter in 2022.

As they spent more time together working in the shelter, their love for each other grew.

Speaking to Chinese news outlet Shangyou News, Yang was impressed by Zhao when she proactively bathed a puppy.

At its peak, the shelter housed over 270 puppies, and when Yang first established the shelter, he thought it could prove to be an obstacle for him to get married and start a family.

However, Zhao supported Yang and even donated money to the shelter.

It comes as no surprise that Yang readily agreed when one of their friends suggested holding the wedding at the shelter.

The shelter was then transformed into a wedding venue with a red carpet that ran down the middle and with decorations all around.

The dogs even had the Chinese word "happiness" on their bowls.

Though it may not seem proper to hold a wedding in a dog shelter, Yang thought the shelter was elegant enough, Shangyou News reported.

One of the volunteers in attendance told the Chinese media that the venue was "more meaningful than anywhere else" for the couple.

Top photos via Interviewees/Shangyou News