In Rio, poor settle for a dog's life while the dogs get married in style

It is going to be the high society wedding of the year

It is going to be the high society wedding of the year. Amid flower arrangements created by one of Rio's top florists, 1,000 guests will be treated to an extravagant banquet.

But this conjugal union is different from most - because the bride and the groom are dogs. In a country where the richest 1 per cent has more wealth than the poorest 50 per cent, the marriage of Pepezinha to Winner is a reminder of the huge social contrasts that exist in Brazil.

Pepezinha, who has three doctors and is served meals on silver platters, belongs to socialite Vera Loyola, a middle-aged blonde who lives in a new suburb of Rio de Janeiro that is described by locals as Brazil's Miami.

"I love animals and I see nothing wrong with treating Pepezinha as though she were my daughter," Ms Loyola said.

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She has even asked a priest to officiate at the wedding ceremony.

Ms Loyola, who lives in the nouveau riche suburb of Barra da Tijuca, made her fortune running a chain of bakeries. After holding Pepezinha's birthday party last year, she attracted widespread criticism from the media for spending excessive amounts of money on animals when there were so many starving people in the city's shantytowns.

Tutty Vasques, a newspaper columnist for Jornal do Brasil, wrote: "Barra da Tijuca can now be deemed the most ridiculous place in the world, exceeding even Miami. Bad taste is going unchecked and careering out of control, making even the new rich feel ashamed."

However, Ms Loyola insists that when she does do charity work, she is ignored.

"I don't understand what all the fuss is about," she says "This wedding has got a social element because I am asking all the guests to donate money to the Society for the Protection of Animals."