November 7th, 2013
Londoners Ed Grant and his pug-obsessed girlfriend, Alexandra Justins, were in New York City recently enjoying what was supposed to be a simple four-day getaway. What Justins didn’t realize was that her romantic boyfriend had much bigger plans in store.
On a crisp Sunday afternoon in Central Park, the couple had meandered to the highest point of the picturesque Bow Bridge when they were greeted by a sniffling pack of 16 adorable pugs, each one tethered to a giant red heart-shaped Mylar balloon.
Justins wondered out loud what the balloons were for, but before she got an answer, Grant dropped to one knee. Amidst the clamor of the 16 pooches and the fast-growing crowd of curious onlookers, he asked Justins to be his wife. The ecstatic bride-to-be said, “Yes,” and the crowd cheered.
The exciting pug encounter was no happenstance. Grant had contacted a local pug meet-up group, whose New York and New Jersey members were pleased to bring their dogs to Central Park to participate in the memorable event.
Justins absolutely adores pugs, and although she doesn’t have one of her own, they light up her world, according to an account in the Bark Post.
“I have never seen Alex happier than when she sees a pug, so I thought I would make her super happy [by seeing 16 at once], and then I hoped even happier by proposing to her!” Grant told TODAY.com.
Justins was touched by the kindness of the pug owners — strangers who were willing to go out of their way to make her day special. “I was totally overwhelmed and I could not believe that Ed had organized everything,” Justins told TODAY.com. “It made an incredibly special moment even more memorable.
After the proposal, 10 pug owners joined the newly engaged couple for celebratory drinks. Each of the pugs earned a commemorative tag that read, “I helped at the ‘Pug Proposal’ 2013.”
Although the couple’s apartment doesn’t allow for a pug companion, as soon as they move to a larger place there will be a wrinkly new addition to the family. The pug will be named “Bow” in honor of the Bow Bridge and their very special Central Park engagement.
On a crisp Sunday afternoon in Central Park, the couple had meandered to the highest point of the picturesque Bow Bridge when they were greeted by a sniffling pack of 16 adorable pugs, each one tethered to a giant red heart-shaped Mylar balloon.
Justins wondered out loud what the balloons were for, but before she got an answer, Grant dropped to one knee. Amidst the clamor of the 16 pooches and the fast-growing crowd of curious onlookers, he asked Justins to be his wife. The ecstatic bride-to-be said, “Yes,” and the crowd cheered.
The exciting pug encounter was no happenstance. Grant had contacted a local pug meet-up group, whose New York and New Jersey members were pleased to bring their dogs to Central Park to participate in the memorable event.
Justins absolutely adores pugs, and although she doesn’t have one of her own, they light up her world, according to an account in the Bark Post.
“I have never seen Alex happier than when she sees a pug, so I thought I would make her super happy [by seeing 16 at once], and then I hoped even happier by proposing to her!” Grant told TODAY.com.
Justins was touched by the kindness of the pug owners — strangers who were willing to go out of their way to make her day special. “I was totally overwhelmed and I could not believe that Ed had organized everything,” Justins told TODAY.com. “It made an incredibly special moment even more memorable.
After the proposal, 10 pug owners joined the newly engaged couple for celebratory drinks. Each of the pugs earned a commemorative tag that read, “I helped at the ‘Pug Proposal’ 2013.”
Although the couple’s apartment doesn’t allow for a pug companion, as soon as they move to a larger place there will be a wrinkly new addition to the family. The pug will be named “Bow” in honor of the Bow Bridge and their very special Central Park engagement.
