You’ll Never Guess Why This Dog Attacked Wedding Guest—’Not on My Watch’

A wedding ceremony took an unexpected turn after an objecting guest was set upon by the happy couple’s service dog.

Tori Trevisone told Newsweek she and her new husband Joe always wanted their dog Sybil to “play a role” in their wedding. However, their guests were “absolutely shocked” when they first discovered what that role involved.

People are increasingly seeking fun ways to include a beloved pet in their wedding day. A 2022 poll of 2,000 dog owners, conducted by OnePoll on behalf of Amazon Handmade, found 60 percent of respondents knew someone who had their dog at their wedding.

The most popular roles for dogs were as ring bearer (50 percent), flower girl (17 percent), and page boy (13 percent). Nine percent said they would even have their dog serve as their best man.

Tori and Joe own a dog training business in Plaistow, New Hampshire, called K9’s Training and Doggy Daycare Facility, so some canine involvement was always likely.

“We specialize in behavior modification needs, service dogs, protection dogs, and even basic obedience needs,” Trevisone said. “We both are major animal lovers and train with our clients and personal dogs daily.”

Their dog Sybil holds a special place in both their hearts though. “Joe got Sybil from a breeder who donated her to him to ‘do something great’ with her,” Trevisone said.

That “something great” is Protection Sports Association (PSA), a sport designed to test a dog’s ability to protect itself and its handler in a controlled manner. It’s a sport Sybil has excelled at under Joe’s guidance, winning a PSA title and rising to the rank of 36th in the world.

As well as competing in PSA, Sybil plays a crucial role in supporting Trevisone as a service dog in her everyday life. “She is a medical alert dog and has saved my life in the past,” she said.

Sybil also played a key role in bringing the happy couple together. “When I first met Joe he was training a service dog for me,” Trevisone said. “Flash forward a few months she attended college with me as my personal service dog.”

So, ahead of tying the knot at The Canoe Club Ballroom in West Bridgewater, Massachusetts, back on November 18, the happy couple were determined to put Sybil front and center.

“We’ve always wanted Sybil to play a role in our wedding,” Trevisone said. “She was a huge star in our relationship and was there for both of us countless times.”

However, Trevisone credits their good friends Elena Carpenito and her fiancé Steve Roberts with coming up with the idea for including Sybil in the ceremony and helping make it a reality.

The resulting skit was captured on camera with the footage posted to TikTok under the handle dagger.dogs. At the time of writing, it’s been watched over 600,000 times.

In the clip, the happy couple can be seen exchanging vows with Sybil standing close by their side. Suddenly a guest stands up to voice his objections to their union.

He gets little time to express his concerns though with Sybil quickly dispatched to deal with the man. Though Sybil appears to have a good grip on the man’s arm, the guest involved was wearing padding or some form of protection in preparation.

After the man begins to apologize for intervening, Sybil releases him from her vice-like grip and returns to the altar, where the service resumes. During the clip, a smattering of laughter can be heard among those quick to realize it’s preplanned. However, according to Trevisone, not everyone was initially in on the joke.

“Our guests were absolutely shocked! Some were dog people and laughed and thought it was the perfect way to nod towards our lives while family members were concerned but caught on quick to the joke,” she said. “It was a huge talking point and a memory forever.”

Trevisone said they have been left “shocked” at how popular the video has become. “We thought it was just a cute video to share with our clients on how we included one of our dogs,” she said. “I hope it’s going viral because of the level of control and confidence we had in Sybil executing this job safely and perfectly!”

It certainly proved popular among viewers, with one imagining Sybil declaring “not on my watch” as she went to deal with the objector. Another, meanwhile, declared her the “bestest bridesmaid.”

Though Sybil was called into action on that occasion, Trevisone assured Newsweek that their beloved canine was given the rest of the wedding off. “Sybil had a blast,” she said. “She had a few cupcakes and danced around with all our guests!”