When Katie Phillips stepped into White on Daniel Island, a bridal boutique in Charleston, South Carolina, she wasn’t just there to say yes to the dress, she was there to make a memory with her best friend.
Her 6-year-old yellow Labrador retriever, Koa, trotted beside her, tail wagging, eyes beaming, completely unaware that the moment was as much hers as it was her owner’s. Koa, who’s been by Katie’s side since she was adopted at just eight weeks old, recently received a heartbreaking diagnosis: her oral cancer had returned and spread to her lungs. Vets gave her an estimated three months to live.
“It was devastating,” Phillips said. “That moment changed everything.”
Two weeks after getting engaged to her fiancé, Nick Pizzo, Katie learned the news. Instead of letting the sadness steal the joy from this new chapter, she chose to embrace every moment she had left with Koa. “I just want to do as much with her as I can and include her in every moment I can,” she said.
So when she learned the bridal shop allowed furry friends, there was no question, Koa was coming dress shopping.
“Having her with me during that first appointment meant more than I can really put into words,” Phillips shared. “It wasn’t just about trying on dresses. It was about making a memory with her.”
And what a memory it was. “Her tail was wagging nonstop, and she followed me everywhere, in and out of the dressing room, like she knew she had a job to do,” Phillips recalled. “She laid right at my feet while I tried on dresses, and every time I looked down, there she was, just smiling and watching me.”
Koa’s presence brought a quiet kind of magic to the day. “She had this proud, peaceful energy all day, like she was part of the celebration in her own quiet way,” Phillips said. “It really was such a special day, one of those memories I’ll always hold close.”
The journey to that moment was anything but easy. Koa was first diagnosed with oral melanoma back in February. After consulting with specialists, she underwent surgery to remove the tumor from her jaw and received a vaccine to prevent the cancer from spreading. When she bounced back, they celebrated with a dog-friendly cake that read “Cancer Free.”
But in June, just as Katie and Nick began dreaming about their future, the cancer returned. Still, Koa continues to show no symptoms and remains the happy, tail-wagging pup she’s always been. And for Phillips, that’s reason enough to make every moment count.
“She’s been through every chapter of my life, and now she’s part of this one too,” Phillips said. “She absolutely adores Nick, and he’s such a great dog dad to her. They have their own bond, and it means so much to me to see how deeply they love each other.”
When Nick proposed at sunrise on Isle of Palms, Koa was right there, and made sure she was included. “When I leaned in to kiss [Nick], Koa actually jumped in for a big, slobbery three-way kiss,” Phillips laughed. “It was such a classic Koa move. Nick had drool all over his face, and we couldn’t stop laughing.”
Though Katie didn’t find her dream dress during the visit with Koa, she said it didn’t matter. “It was one of those moments where you just stop and think, ‘I’m going to remember this forever.’”
She later found her gown during another appointment with her mom and best friend, but admitted it wasn’t quite as emotional. “It was still fun and exciting, but it didn’t feel as emotional as that first appointment with Koa,” she said. She plans to ask the boutique if Koa can come to her fitting once the dress arrives: “I have to see her reaction and get a photo with her while I’m wearing it. That moment will mean everything to me.”
Katie and Nick plan to marry in Barbados in April 2026, but they’ll have a civil ceremony in Charleston beforehand, just in case Koa is still feeling strong enough to attend. “I want her to feel special and included in everything, not just the big milestones, but the quiet, everyday parts of life too,” Phillips said.
“This whole experience has made me realize how much we take for granted. I don’t overlook the little things anymore. The couch cuddles. The daily walks. The way she smiles and wags her tail when I walk in the door. Those are the moments I’m holding onto.”
And that’s the love story Phillips is telling, not just the one with her fiancé, but the one with the dog who’s been her constant, her comfort, her joy. A love story told in tail wags, slobbery kisses, and memories that will never fade.
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