A couple has warmed hearts all over the globe after deciding to have their terminally ill golden retriever take center stage at their wedding.
Anna and Steven Carter, from Manchester, New Hampshire, said they always knew that their pooch, Maybeline “Maybel” Joy, would play a part in their wedding.
But a few months before their big day, Anna and Steven received crushing news.
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Having taken Maybel to their primary vet because they noticed she kept lifting her paw, Anna then waited while the results of an X-ray on the paw came back.
A specialist diagnosed Maybel with two types of terminal cancer in June 2024 – sarcomatoid mesothelioma and thyroid cancer with vascular involvement – which took away the “wedding high,” Anna said.
At that point, with their wedding just a few months away on September 7, Anna and Steven committed to making every part of the day as special as possible for Maybel, who Anna had adopted as a puppy from her aunt in 2013, her freshman year of nursing school.
On the day itself, Maybel wore her own white tutu, which a seamstress had made from the large, puffy sleeves that Anna had opted not to include on her dress.
Anna then undertook an emotional first-look shoot with her beloved 11-and-a-half-year-old pooch, who didn’t leave her side for the rest of the day.
These special moments – including Maybel being part of the ceremony and first dance – were captured by photographer Stephanie Berenson and videographer Jordon Johnson.
Social media posts of the pair’s photos and videos went viral online, receiving millions of views and outpourings of love for Maybel from across the globe.
Anna said: “We just can’t believe everything that has come about with this.
“Things that don’t happen to ordinary, working-class type of people.
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“I am a nurse and my husband is a detective; we never expect things like this to happen; we both have selfless jobs and to things for other people to improve their life and the quality of it.
“I seriously think I’m still in a state of shock because of how many lives Maybel has touched.
“She has two videos with over three million views.
“It is so heartwarming hearing other stories through the comments and people saying they have new wedding goals – even though they are not in a relationship or don’t have a dog.
“People have been so kind and multiple have even said things Iike, “She is my soul dog,” and that they can just truly see how much Maybel and I love each other through the videos and pictures.
“It does not feel real to us.”
