Some may howl at the notion of a wedding ceremony for dogs, but the annual BARCS Dog Wedding is impawtant enough to be held for the third year in a row. The Lord Baltimore Hotel will host the gala-style fundraiser on Feb. 3.
The pup-tials present the opportunity for a grand soiree, but also raise critical funding to benefit the 11,000-12,000 homeless animals that come to the Baltimore Animal Rescue and Care Shelter (BARCS) every year. In 2023, the BARCS Dog Wedding raised $60,000 for the organization.
The pupple to be wed are Pippa, who arrived at BARCS in 2022, and Munch, who came to BARCS as a puppy in 2018. The Lord Baltimore Hotel has donated the entire lobby space and grand ballroom for the wedding.
The event includes a cocktail hour, open bark, catered dinner, wedding cake, dancing, photo booth, and more.
Pippa and Munch each led a dog’s life before arriving at BARCS to receive the shelter’s loving care. Pippa was 10 years old and had spent most of her life in a yard.
“She was underweight, missing much of her fur, had dermatitis, otitis, arthritis and multiple mammary masses. Despite all of this, she was incredibly spunky and sweet and quickly won the heart of a volunteer and foster, Kailynn, who welcomed Pippa into her home with open arms,” reads the press release announcing the union.
Pippa was soon discovered to have cancer but has outlived her diagnosis for a long time!
Munch arrived at BARCS with his littermate as a puppy and was a star in Pawject Runway that year. He was adopted by a staff member and has been a dog ambassador for BARCS ever since, attending several school presentations each year.
“Munch is so very thankful to have spent his life with a loving family. This past year, he lost some mobility in his hind legs, but that hasn’t stopped him from being the lovable goof that he is!” reads the press release.
For over a year, the two future lovedogs lived just a few blocks away from each other. One year, Pippa even made national news with her adoption story, but the two had never crossed leashes.
“One crisp fall afternoon, all of that changed. Both pups were out for walks with their moms in Riverside Park in South Baltimore when their eyes met. It was love at first… ‘body slam?’” Munch was a perfect gentledog, allowing Pippa to eat all the treats both dog moms threw at them as they got acquainted. Pippa returned the gesture by opening up to Munch about her cancer diagnosis and confidence in the future, having already beaten the odds.
Tickets to the pup-tials are $150 per individual and $1,500 for a table of 10. 100% of proceeds benefit animals in need at BARCS.
Dress is formal attire, and the Lord Baltimore Hotel has a block of room reserved with a special rate for BARCS guests who reserve by Jan. 20.
No word yet on if the pupple will write their own wedding bow-vows.
All public event information, including engagement photos of Pippa and Munch and the opportunity to RSVP can be found by clicking this link.
