When Diana Tupiza and Andres Alquinga decided to get married, they selected a rather unusual witness for the civil wedding ceremony: Luna, their Pekingese pup who stamped her paw print on the marriage certificate.
With recently authorised "pet friendly" weddings, Ecuadoran officials are embracing the role of furry friends in modern families.
Elsewhere in Latin America, only human witnesses are allowed, although Argentina and Mexico have made a few exceptions.
While Luna's paw print has no legal standing, the gesture holds sentimental value, and more than 50 Ecuadoran couples have elected to get married in front of their dogs and cats since May.
"That she (Luna) is here is really spectacular," Tupiza told AFP after their ceremony in the capital Quito.
The 38-year-old engineer said it was her husband's idea to bring Luna – who dressed for the occasion in a pink tulle gown.
Alquinga, a 31-year-old programmer, said animals "may not be able to speak to us, or give us advice, but they are there to give us all the love that they have."
'Current, modern needs'
The move came as a shock to the bride's mother, Lus Lima, who nevertheless took it upon herself to make Luna's dress.
"It's better to choose someone...who knows what they're signing," Lima recalled telling the couple.
But eventually, she came around to the idea.
"These are modern times," she told AFP during the fitting for Luna's dress.
Otton Rivadeneira, the director of Ecuador's Civil Registry, said the policy is in line with contemporary family structures.
"We're definitely adapting to these current, modern needs," he told AFP.
Ecuador's latest census found that among its 19 million people, nearly 7.6 million have dogs and cats as pets – almost double the number of children ages 12 and under.
After Alquinga and Tupiza's ceremony, Luna stamped her paw on their marriage license, which also had the signatures of the couple – and other human witnesses.
"Symbolic marriage certificate" reads the document, with a special space denoting "paw print of your furry friend."
"I have three dogs and a cat," Tupiza said.
"For me, it would have been great if they all could have been here, but she (Luna) I think represents both the (pets) who are here on earth as well as those in heaven." – AFP
