A Maryland woman's video showcasing the heartwarming role her golden retriever played in her wedding has taken on a new significance in light of the personal tragedy that followed.

In a series of clips shared under the handle staygoldenboys on TikTok, a woman who asked to be identified as Meg N from Annapolis, shared clips of her dog Benny taking center stage at her wedding to husband Joe in 2022.

A significant number of newlyweds are choosing to include their four-legged friends in their nuptials. A 2022 poll of 2,000 dog owners, conducted by OnePoll on behalf of Amazon Handmade, found close to two-thirds of U.S. adults would include their dog in their wedding.

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Respondents were keen on the idea of dogs serving as ring bearers (50 percent), flower girls (17 percent), and page boys (13 percent), while 9 percent liked the idea of their dog serving as best man.

Meg and Joe enlisted Benny to be their "best doggo" on their big day. It was a no-brainer considering the bond they had formed with their golden retriever since the day they brought him home as a puppy during lockdown in early January 2021.

"From the beginning, we always called ourselves the 'three best friends' so we knew he had to be there when we got married," Meg said. "There was no Joe and Meg without Benny."

Benny had always been by their side through thick and thin. "Wherever we went, there was a 99 percent chance he was with us. He loved going for car rides with us, going for walks to chase squirrels and birds and snuggling on the couch. His absolute favorite place was the beach. He loved to dig and zoomie in the sand."

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Finding a dog-friendly venue was therefore a "non-negotiable" while a significant amount of time was dedicated to figuring out what song Benny would walk down the aisle to. "So that he would make the best entrance possible," Meg explained. They eventually plumped for "Jordan Belfort" by Wes Walker with the choice of track making for a memorable entrance.

Benny's presence was important though. "Benny made people smile everywhere we went, and on the wedding day was able to ease some of our nerves," Meg said. "Our day and ceremony wouldn't have been complete without him there for us!"

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Meg and Joe tied the knot on November 18, 2022, at the Main Street Ballroom in Ellicott City, Maryland. There are so many happy memories from that day but one that sticks out more than most right now is the presence of Benny, given what happened in January of this year.

"Benny was diagnosed with a severe case of hemorrhagic gastroenteritis (HGE). He was perfectly healthy, playing in the snow with us at 4:00 pm on a Friday, and by 4 am we had woken up to him vomiting and lethargic; not himself," Meg said.

"We rushed him to the emergency vet where on top of the HGE, his blood pressure was gravely low causing more complications and the need for more interventions. He was too weak to be put under anesthesia for exploratory surgery. Unfortunately, his body couldn't fight the HGE and he became septic."

Meg said they "did everything we could to try and save him" but despite the best efforts of emergency veterinarians, it was clear there was no way back. By Monday morning, the decision was made to say goodbye to their beloved dog.

"He fought so hard for us until the very end," Meg said. Benny passed away just two days prior to the anniversary of the day he came home with his new human companion.

Now, some eight months on, Meg continues to mourn the loss of her dog.

"I was 16 weeks pregnant when all of this happened, so it really crushed me to not have Benny there for the birth of our baby. I always pictured my life and every new milestone had Benny in it, and to have that taken away so abruptly is so hard," she said.

"But our son is here and he's perfect! We also got a new puppy named Marvin in April- we named him after one of Benny's favorite toys and our favorite tour guide from our honeymoon in Turks & Caicos."

Marvin, the new puppy, is a very different dog from Benny but his presence has helped. "We had too much love to give to a pup to go without one, and it's true that a heart healer pup helps with the grief," Meg said.

Even so, Benny was more than a dog to Meg. "He was my best friend," she said. "We still grieve him while raising a baby and a puppy at the same time. It's pure chaos now but I'm so happy we have Marvin and our son to help us continue to heal."

That all makes watching footage from her wedding featuring a happy and healthy Benny a bit more difficult. "It's extremely bittersweet watching back the footage," she said. "We miss him so much but know that having him be a part of our wedding was the best decision we ever could've made."

Benny might not have gotten the life he deserved, but the life he had was one of joy, and if Meg had one chance to tell him anything, she knows what she would say.

"I would tell him: 'I hope you know loved and missed you are we still talk about you every single day- I'd do anything to squish your face and snuggle again, and I can't wait to see you again one day. Keep watching over us for now, we love you so much Peetey bear.'"

She hopes her story convinces other dog owners out there to make sure they include their four-legged friends in major life events like this. "We're proof that including your dog in any major life event is so special because you never know," he said.