Couple Became ‘Forever Foster’ Parents to a Blind, Deaf Dog That Later Played an Emotional Part in Their Wedding

A couple gave a blind and deaf senior dog the love and comfort he deserved in his final days — and he found a way to give them something unforgettable in return.

Benjamin, a bully mix, had been living in a shelter before Wags & Walks, an animal welfare nonprofit, placed him with a “forever foster” family: Meghan and Matt Rogers.

Helping Benjamin acclimate to a home environment wasn’t simple. The dog faced multiple medical challenges, including seizures. But Meghan, 34, and Matt, 38, were determined — and as their bond deepened, the couple realized their beloved foster pup had to be part of their wedding plans.

“Benjamin was literally family from day one. Our love for him continued to grow, and I personally knew I couldn’t have our ceremony without him,” Meghan says. Because Benjamin hated car rides, the couple chose to host a small backyard wedding with immediate family while planning a symbolic ceremony abroad in January.

Wearing a tuxedo bandana, Benjamin wandered the yard as the ceremony began. Then something remarkable happened.

“Despite being completely blind and deaf, Benjamin walked directly between us, like he just knew he needed to be there,” Meghan recalls. “It brought us all to tears. I like to think it was his stamp of approval.”

Benjamin passed away the following weekend — just days after he witnessed Meghan and Matt exchange vows.

“He held on just long enough,” Meghan says. “It means so much that our last weekend with him was that one.”

The loss still weighs heavily on the couple. Meghan misses watching Benjamin nap in his favorite sunny spot. Matt cherishes the memory of the day Benjamin fell asleep on his lap — a moment when the pup finally seemed safe and content.

The couple first learned about Benjamin through the Wags & Walks foster team in Nashville. Although they initially worried about caring for a blind and deaf dog, Meghan says her heart knew the answer from the start.

“Even though I was nervous, in the back of my mind I knew I was going to say yes,” she says.

Despite the heartbreak of losing him, they wouldn’t change a thing.

“As hard as it was to say goodbye, we would do it again in a heartbeat,” Meghan says. “Our lives are forever changed because of him.”

To anyone considering fostering a senior pet, she offers simple encouragement:

“DO IT. Benjamin taught us patience, perseverance, and how to appreciate the little things. They say old dogs can’t learn new tricks — but they can definitely teach us some.”