For their wedding day, Alexander Heritier and Madeleine Erba knew just who they wanted as their ring bearer: Daisy, an arson-detection dog. The couple trained the black labrador for a year before she started working with Detective John Peters at the Westchester County police department.
Daisy, according to Erba, was an important part of their relationship. She met Daisy three months into her relationship with Al. He never questioned why she decided to volunteer to raise her and even contributed to her training.
The dog, who is now six years old, flew to Michigan with Peters for the big day. She definitely was, without a doubt, the star of the show. There were several “awws” as she marched down the aisle as the ring bearer. She strode down the aisle, Detective Peters at her side, in full uniform.
Daisy also became a source of comic relief. The best man had some difficulty taking Daisy’s rings off, and after a couple of failed attempts at removing the bag, she threw him off balance. However, in an effort to apologize, she promptly licked his cheek. Neither best man nor dog was harmed.
Their close relationship began in 2011, when Hertier and Erba, both new veterinary school graduates, agreed to train the puppy Daisy for one year through the charity Pause with a Cause. Their goal was to prepare the puppy for her new work.
She was supposed to support someone with a disability, but her skills were perfectly suited for a K-9 arson-detection dog. Little did they know she would take on a new very special training to be included in the wedding ceremony years later.
Daisy went off to work with Peters as part of the State Farm Arson Dog Program after her time together with the couple. They hope to stay in touch and pay visits to Daisy and Peters. In the meantime, they keep updated on Daisy through social media.
Credit: This Dog’s Life
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