For many years, humans and canines have had a special bond. Whether we delight in a friend to walk with or a warm ball of fur to cuddle on the couch with, dogs can bring us comfort, laughter, and joy when no one else can. On March 11, 2014, Britain’s ITV’s This Morning featured an interview titled, “woman marries dog.” This was met with laughter and disbelief, but according to Amanda Rogers, the connection between herself and her furry friend is much deeper than anyone could imagine.
A Deep Connection
Amanda Rogers married her dog, Sheba, in Croatia. 200 people attended the service, even though Rogers understands the marriage holds no legal weight. However, she does believe that she and her pooch were “meant to be,” and when Sheba was just two weeks old Rogers fell in love with her at first sight. At 46 years old, and already once divorced, Rogers feels that her connection with Sheba is different than any connection she could ever have with a man. Rogers even claims that Sheba decides what men enter her own bedroom. In fact, Rogers even made a man sleep in the dog bed for a whole week before he was allowed to enter her room!
While the headline “woman marries dog,” has been met with skepticism and jokes, Rogers has defended her decision. In an interview with the Metro she stated that, “Sheba had been in my life for years, making me laugh and comforting me when I was feeling low. I couldn’t think of anything more I’d need from a life partner.” Rogers even claims that Sheba wagged her tail in a response of yes when she got down on one knee and proposed to her.
Not the First in History
While this wedding may seem very weird to some people, stories of marriages between humans and animals play important roles in the legends of many different cultures. A Cheyenne myth titled ‘The Girl Who Married a Dog” explains how a group of seven bright stars known as the Pleiades was born when a Cheyenne chief’s daughter gave birth to seven puppies after she was visited by a dog in human form.
The Chinese people tell a folktale known by some as “The Silkworm.” This story claims that a King’s daughter married a horse to uphold a promise. In the story, the daughter is eventually reborn as a silk worm and was said to imitate the features and actions of a horse.
While the topic, woman marries dog, is not a typical one for morning talk shows, Amanda Rogers has shed new light onto the bond between humans and our canine companions.
