'Tis the season of weddings and celebration! And while we humans plan our special days to make them memorable, the wedding season has now been extended to pets as well. Yes, you read it right. In a world where ideas and experiments take new shapes every day, many pet parents have now decided to settle their pets just like their kids.
In a recent amusing event, a couple and dog owners in Uttar Pradesh got their pet married to another dog in an extravagant wedding ceremony. Another family from Kareli from Madhya Pradesh have been meeting pandits to match the horoscope for their pet parrot and myna.
In fact, there's a National Pet Wedding Week from June 12 to 18 every year. The week promotes love between two pets by sanctifying their union so the lovebirds – literally in some cases – can spend the rest of their lives breeding and growing old together.
"It's a happy moment for the pets. Hosting a wedding for our furry friend is a fun thing to do as humans. As pet parents it brings us happiness to give them a special feel,” says Delhi-based Tanya Bhatia, who is a proud parent of a Golden Retriever. “I still need to think if I am ready to get my pet married because the concept is still too new and needs time to be understood," she adds.
Nilesh Bhanage, the founder of the Plant & Animals Welfare Society (PAWS) in Mumbai opines that pet weddings are more than just a fad and joy. “This is deeper than just the jovial aspect that is being seen on social media. Some people have got the craze of breeding their pets in the name of marriage. Sadly, this is what people are doing to make it to the flashy viral headlines when thousands of species are dying on the streets due to unavailability of proper food and healthcare,” says Nilesh and points out that pets may undergo trauma due to all the wedding preparations around them.
“Most animals are shy and don't appreciate human interference. Pet owners should avoid this. Marriage will see mating unless they are sterilised pets, and their offerings may become a concern for pet owners as they later either choose to give away or abandon the younger ones,” Nilesh declares.
It is no surprise that humans get their pets married, for it has been practised in the west for quite some time now. Back home, if mythological scriptures are to be believed, marriages of even celestial beings are even documented and celebrated till now. For instance, the Moon God married Rohini, the daughter of King Daksha. Tulsi or holy basil is believed to have married lord Vishnu. “Today birds and animals are domesticated and kept as pets. Marriages of pets are considered a family event, and as a pet parent, I am happy about this. Birds and animals urge us to give them love and respect, which they reciprocate unconditionally,” says an animal lover K. Guruprasad.
While the idea of pet marriage may appear a pleasing and fun thing to do, many point out that apart from pets, there exist stray animals which are devoid of basic medical care and safety, which should be a prime concern in marriage.
Noted actor and animal rights activist Jaya Bhattacharya asks if pet parents know what marriage means to these little creatures and if they are ready for it. “This must be done before a pet parent takes authority to decide who their pet would marry. This is much similar to our lives and decisions about getting hitched. Why not spend that money towards the stray animals who are in need rather than lavish ceremonies to hit the internet,” says the actor and Daisy Sharma, a teacher by profession.
“Pets don't know anything about marriage and it seems weird and more of a showoff culture,” says Daisy, who also owns a parrot and celebrates its birthday every year. “But marriage is next-level and is absolutely unnecessary. Pet weddings seem to be a mockery than a celebration
Edited by Priyanka Chandani
