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Taking care of a couple’s furry friends at their wedding can be a lucrative business.
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Some wedding “pet attendants” charge $200 an hour or more to tend to pets participating in a couple’s big day, USA Today reports.
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Their responsibilities can include outfitting dogs in tuxedos, taking them on potty breaks, and more.
A lot of couples like to include their pets in their weddings, and that can mean big business for so-called “pet attendants.”
Wedding pet coordinators are responsible for smoothly integrating a couple’s pets, usually dogs, into their wedding, a task that can earn them $200 per hour or more, as USA Today reports.
Their duties include everything from getting dogs to the wedding venue, feeding them, walking and playing with them to expel energy prior to the ceremony, and taking them on bathroom breaks behind the scenes. Wedding pet attendants may also dress the pets in outfits and accessories like tuxedos and flower collars at the couple’s request, or ensure they follow cues for walking down the aisle towards their paw-rents.
To prepare for the gig, some coordinators will sit down with the couple and ask about their dog’s personality, fears, or other characteristics that may be important to note for the big da, according to USA Today. Others may take the dog for a walk to get a better sense of what to expect when the couple ties the knot.
One wedding pet attendant, 42-year-old Amy Fiala of Austin, Texas, told the outlet she got into the business after her own wedding in 2013, which featured her Great Dane and Pomeranian.
“I thought, ‘There’s got to be other crazy dog ladies out there too!'” Fiala told USA Today.
Today, Fiala runs A Wedding Tail by Austin-based Game Time Dog Services, working with her 10 employees to take care of couples’ dogs at their weddings.
“My job is to make sure the dog is happy and healthy and in a good mental spot,” she said.
Some wedding pet attendants say they’ve seen an uptick in business in the past few years, as many people got pets during the pandemic.
Read the original article on Business Insider