Save the date: Sacramento SPCA’s upcoming Big Day of Giving includes a live wedding

Two local pooches will soon become one, tying the knot as part of the Big Day of Giving coming Thursday for the Sacramento Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

Bride Cookie and groom Chip, both chihuahuas and SPCA alums, were placed in foster homes shortly before California Gov. Gavin Newsom issued a stay-at-home order in response to the coronavirus pandemic, but the two will reunite for their nuptial ceremony. The union began as a joke between staff members before gaining traction as a cause for celebration for staff and supporters alike, public relations and social media specialist Sarah Varanini said in an email to The Sacramento Bee.

Sacramento SPCA photos show the duo taking part in their respective bachelor and bachelorette parties, with Chip anteing up with the boys through a couple hands of poker, while Cookie caught some rays poolside.

The union will take place on Zoom in adherence with social distancing guidelines to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, although a small contingent of staff members will be on site, in addition to a slew of furry witnesses. Viewers can tune in to the the ceremony, which will be streamed via Facebook at 10 a.m.

The Sacramento SPCA since April 1 recorded a 500 percent increase in kittens younger than six weeks who had either been abandoned or dropped off by concerned citizens. Simultaneously, the shelter has seen a large dip in revenue after being forced to halt public programs, due to the coronavirus.

According to its website, Sacramento SPCA assisted 1,241 animals through foster or rescue in 2019, in addition to facilitating 3,961 adoptions. The organization’s fundraising goal for this year’s Big Day of Giving is $105,000.

This story was originally published May 6, 2020 at 5:00 AM.