Before Dan and I had even decided where or when to get married, we knew two things about our future wedding: The vegan food had better slap, and PETA’s Community Animal Project (CAP)—the very reason I moved to Norfolk, Virginia, where PETA is headquartered, thus meeting my now-spouse—and the animals it serves should be front and center.

As we planned to commit our love to each other for life, we knew that we wanted our celebration to include the work that we’ve committed our lives to—Dan as the vice president of legal advocacy for PETA’s investigations division, and me as a fieldworker. This meant that the animal-friendly attire would need to turn heads …

… and that vegan wine and tapas were a must …

… and that the entrée needed to wow even the non-vegan guests who attended …

… and that our companion animals needed to be center stage …

… and, finally, that fine china and Mr. and Mrs. beer steins were out—and a spay/neuter fundraiser was in!

PETA offers spay and neuter surgeries as well as vaccinations for dogs and cats in four state-of-the-art mobile clinics. Since the program’s inception in 2001, PETA’s mobile clinics have sterilized more than 224,200 companion animals, preventing the inevitable suffering of millions in Virginia and North Carolina. And if someone doesn’t have transportation, Dan, myself, or our coworkers transport the animal to and from surgery at no cost

So, in place of a traditional wedding registry, we kindly requested loved ones’ help in sponsoring a day-long spay/neuter event that will offer low- and no-cost sterilization of dogs and cats in an underserved area of Virginia.

As the donations rolled in, including from generous strangers, Dan and I quickly discovered that our intimate list of wedding invitees weren’t the only ones who love love and hate companion animal overpopulation. And while Dan and I have already been up and down the altar, there’s still time to help us get all the animals altered!

This post was written by Katherine Sullivan, Field Outreach Worker, PETA.