A professional dog trainer proposed to his high school sweetheart with help from his pooch after hiding the ring inside a modified tennis ball.
Alex Lopez, 28, from Long Beach, California, and girlfriend of 11 years, Julia Flores, 27, are both big dog lovers so he wanted to include dogs when he popped the question.
First, Alex needed to think of an occasion – so he settled on his birthday in January, as he knew family would be in attendance.
Many family members hadn’t been able to gather over the holidays, so a late gift exchange would also provide the perfect cover for when he decided to give Julia the best gift of all.
Alex purchased a custom-made tennis ball, which also operated as a ring box when opened.
Then, he planned for the final gift exchange to be between his mom and his dog, Zeke, so Zeke could open the ball and Alex could then get down on one knee.
The moment played out as planned, with Alex – who joked he was “sweating bullets” with nerves beforehand – opening the ball and then asking if everyone wanted to see a trick.
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He gave the ball to Zeke, who took it in his mouth before passing it back to Alex.
Straight after that exchange, a smooth Alex moved down onto one knee, holding the open ball out in front of him to Julia, who immediately started sobbing when she saw the ring.
Family members smiled and captured the loving moment on video at an Airbnb in Big Bear Lake, California.
Alex said: “Seeing my fiance’s reaction was a moment I will cherish forever because I know how much that meant to both of us and how much we love one another.
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“After almost 11 years together, it was such a beautiful way to start a new decade of our relationship.
“To be able to experience that moment with my family present and for my dogs to be a part of it is something that I know none of us will ever forget.
“Our family and friends who were not there have loved seeing us post it on social media.
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“All the dog lovers on the internet love that our dogs were such a big part of the actual proposal.
“We have had such a positive response in the comments, people congratulating us and saying that I did a creative job on the proposal.
“I hope the message people take from this story is that you can never do too much for those you love.
“No matter how long you’ve been in a relationship with someone, it’s always important to remind them how special they are.”