Aussie man 'marries' best mate -- his dog

Dogs may be known internationally as man's best friend, but one Australian has taken his puppy love to an entirely new level by marrying his cherished pet.

According to the AFP, Joe Guiso wed his five-year-old golden retriever, Honey, in a park in the Queensland town of Toowoomba. The groom donned a formal grey suit while the "bride" wore a flowing veil-like cape attached to her collar.

Thirty of Guiso's friends and family attended the unorthodox wedding, which concluded with the groom getting down on one knee to plant a kiss on his beloved pooch. "You're my best friend and you make every part of my day better," Guiso, 20, told his pet, according to the New York Daily News.

Though local animal rights groups have slammed the nuptials, Guiso has laughed off the criticism, saying that while he loves his dog, the relationship is strictly platonic. "There's nothing sexual," he told the AFP, noting that the event was simply a lighthearted way to celebrate with friends. "You can't actually marry a dog." And it sounds as if the honeymoon period might already be over for the new couple: "I think [Honey's] a bit angry about all the publicity; she's been giving me the silent treatment," the Telegraph quotes Guiso as saying.