8 minutes reading‘
On Saturday, at seven in the afternoon, as the sun began to set, Five dogs settled around an outdoor altar on a farm in San Rafael. Mendoza, as if they understood that they were about to experience an unprecedented moment in Argentina. Maximumthe eldest; Kibouthe most serious; coconutrestless and loving; Atiliowho once fought for his life; And Raphaellong and elegant, a mix of greyhound and street, took on their role as Honorary witnesses at the wedding of Darío Hernández (57) and Nicolás Da Col (38).
The excitement was palpable in the air. Surrounded by affection, these two men had decided that their family – which they had built on rescues, sleepless nights and second chances – would be complete on the most important day of their lives.
The scene was not only moving, it was also historic. For the first time in the country The registry office of Mendoza has approved the registration of animals Honorary witnesses at a wedding, a symbolic figure that is protected by viewing animals as “sentient beings”.
The five dogs, which had once been abandoned, mistreated or abandoned, left their footprints in a parallel book made especially for the ceremony, a meaningful gesture that the bride and groom described as “an act of poetic justice.”
The precedent became public in October when the provincial registry office approved the couple’s application after classifying it as an exceptional application. “It is an unusual request, but it is not outside the law. The animals do not appear on the official register, but can leave their symbolic mark on an additional piece of paper.”authorities said at the time.
The decision was approved because the animals were considered part of a real emotional family. And that’s exactly what the couple argued: “They are members of our extended family,” Darío had said. “We wanted to share this day with them because they gave us unconditional love that we could never fully repay.”
The wedding took place on a farm on the outskirts of San Rafael, in an intimate setting where the dogs moved naturally among chairs, flowers and soft music. The song they wanted to accompany this moment was “Quédate” by Shé, a Valencian rapper who dedicated it to his dog. “These texts say exactly what we think about them” said the couple.
In a particularly emotional moment, Atilio and Rafael carried the rings to the altar. The wedding rings were made by the bride and groom themselves by melting pieces of gold that belonged to their late brothers Ariel, Darío, and Alejandra, Nicolás. “We wanted them to be with us in some way,” they explained to LA NACION.
When it was time to sign, Máxima, Kibou, Coco, Atilio and Rafael They used special ink to leave traces of their paws on a thick-leaf book. It was the most solemn moment of the ceremony: between applause, laughter and unshed tears, the bond of this family was sealed, as special as it was deeply in line with their values.
Darío and Nicolás met through an application more than 13 years ago. But it was no coincidence: both were deeply committed to rescuing and rehabilitating dogs.
Nicolás was an employee at El Campito, the huge animal shelter in the south that housed more than 800 animals. It was he who took Darío with him for the first time, who immediately volunteered. From there they adopted their first companions, Celia and El Tano.
Over time, after moving to Olivos, they began working with Patitas al Rescate, a transit shelter in the north of Buenos Aires. Their house became a stopover for dogs that were injured or needed constant care: daily bandages, treatments, endless trips to the vet and, most importantly, the chance for a better future.
Some of these animals found other families. But others stayed forever.
Kibou He was the first to arrive, and his name – “Hope” in Japanese – sums up his story. Then it came Maximumthe only woman in the group and the oldest, who arrived from El Campito during the pandemic after Celia died.
coconut He stayed after El Tano’s death because they were physically similar and even had the same skin condition.
Atilio It is perhaps the most symbolic case: he appeared with his skull exposed and deep wounds on his legs. The couple took him for daily healings for 40 days. The other dogs surrounded him, looked after him and accompanied him to sleep. He survived against all odds and that’s why he stayed. On the day of the final World Cup match in December 2022, Darío and Nicolás promised that if Argentina won, Atilio would stay permanently. And that’s how it was. Today his full name is “Ati Lio Messi”. The only one who doesn’t have his last name.
The last one to arrive was Raphaelfound alone, hungry, with his dead brothers a few meters away, victim of neglect and an accident.
But for the couple, the inclusion of the five dogs was not a picturesque gesture a restorative act. “On the day of the signing, we wanted to give them back the dignity that they wanted to take away from them one day,” said Darío. “An adopted or rescued dog never stays in the past. Only trauma remains. They live in the present and give limitless love. They are pure souls. And that is why they register no human hatred.”
They also felt it was a thank you for supporting them in difficult times. “We always say that a person who loves a dog is someone we like to know. We found ourselves in that love,” said Nicolás.
For years they felt no need for formalization. “I have always said that nothing brings us together and nothing separates us,” said Darío. Nicolás, on the other hand, was more in favor of marriage.
The final push came almost by accident.“One day I heard Sandra Mihanovich say that she got married ‘to honor the opportunity'”Dario said. “And then I understood. Many wanted to before and couldn’t. We had the right. And we had to celebrate it.”
The participation of animals in weddings is not uncommon in other countries, especially in the United States, where there are ceremonies in New York or San Francisco that use footprints, small collars with rings and even log rolls for pets.
However, In Argentina there were no records formalized by a civil registry office. The Mendoza experience set a precedent, not legal, but cultural: it opened the door for families in which animals live to express this bond symbolically in official acts.
“As long as the law or the legal framework is not changed, we are open to supporting new forms of family understanding,” they said from the provincial authority.
Throughout Saturday afternoon, the five dogs seemed to move with a mix of calm and solemnity. When Darío and Nicolás finished signing, some present claimed to have seen Máxima resting her head on the leg of one of them, as if blessing the scene. Kibou watched everything solemnly. Coco walked among the guests like a host. Atilio lay down near the altar full of emotion. And Rafael, standing tall, was the first to pose for photos.
Towards the end, when the sky was already pink and the music enveloped the farm, Someone said quietly, “I’ve never seen a wedding with so many happy groomsmen.”
Beyond the striking, the ceremony marked a deep reflection on the place animals occupy in many people’s lives today. They are no longer “pets” in the reduced sense: They are emotional companions, real participants in everyday life, a central part of the identity of a home.
The wedding of Darío and Nicolás – whose five dogs sealed the moment with ink prints – was, in this sense, more than a formal union: it was a representation of a family in its entirety. A family that came together not through blood but through care, survival and love.
The following Sunday, while the bride and groom were reminiscing about the party, Máxima took a nap, Kibou watched from the window, Coco looked for attention, Atilio leaned on Nicolás, and Rafael followed every movement intently. The house full of life revealed one certainty: the story they celebrated on Saturday is not that of an unusual wedding, but that of a way of loving that is built every day.
About The Author
