Canine mishap: Boston couple’s dog eats passport shortly before wedding in Italy

Using the excuse “My dog ate my passport” probably won’t be accepted by customs authorities.

A Boston couple’s impending wedding plans in Italy have hit a snag as their dog managed to chew up the groom-to-be’s passport less than two weeks before the scheduled August 31 ceremony.

Donato Frattaroli, residing in South Boston, shared with WCVB that he and his fiancée had visited city hall to complete their marriage paperwork on Thursday, just a few days prior to their planned wedding.

Upon returning home several hours later, they discovered that their playful 1.5-year-old golden retriever named Chickie had gnawed through several pages of Frattaroli’s passport.

Now, the couple is in a rush to secure a replacement passport and is seeking assistance from local officials.

“I’m just a little stressed,” Frattaroli told the outlet. “Luckily, Congressman (Stephen) Lynch’s office and Sen. (Ed) Markey’s office have been super responsive. They’ve been in touch, at least with me and the State Department, to try to expedite things and get a new passport. Keep my fingers crossed and, hopefully, everything will work itself out.”

The couple is set to depart for Italy this upcoming Friday.

The future groom mentioned that if he’s unable to obtain a passport before the flight, he’ll remain at home while his fiancée and the wedding guests proceed to Italy for the ceremony.

In the event that he still can’t acquire a passport in time for the wedding, he indicated that he would simply meet up with the wedding party upon their return to the United States.