New Delhi, Aug 24 (IANS) Come Aug 30 and the capital will witness a grand wedding affair with grooms and brides exchanging “bow vows” at a mass ceremony for canines. Over 100 canines will be united in wedlock at the ceremony organised at the Ansal Plaza business centre.

“We wanted to do something for animal rights. With average dog owners spending about Rs.7,000 on their pets, we thought a mass wedding would be an opportunity to provide social life to pets and do something different,” said Abhijit Das, an official of Ansal Plaza.

People have found the idea very appealing and so far around 90 dog owners have got themselves registered for the unique ceremony, which is being organized for the first time in Delhi.

“The ceremony is open to any canine provided it has been cleared by vets. So far only 90 people have registered themselves but we are expecting the number to increase in the next few days,” Das, additional general manager Ansal Plaza, told IANS.

All arrangements are in place for the D-day.

“We have taken all the security and safety measures. Dog marshals and vets will be present at the ceremony,” said Das.

During the ‘ceremony’, dog owners will seek out prospective partners for their pets from the gathering present and contact the respective owners to fix up a future rendezvous date. Admission to the do is free, said Das.

The “marriage” ceremony, slated to last around four hours, will have added attractions for the prospective bride and grooms.

“There will be fashion shows for the dogs and various titles will be up for grabs like ‘Most lovable dog’ and ‘Most photogenic dog’,” Das added.

Ansal Plaza plans to open its mall for pet dogs.

“There are very few public places where pets are allowed. Following this event, we would allow pets to be brought during non-peak hours,” he said.