The Reverend Keith Corless of St George's, Brockworth, made newspaper headlines on Tuesday after conducting the spoof marriage ceremony.

He said: "It was jokingly suggested that they should get married. I said we can't marry dogs, but as good Christian people we can bless them.

"We raised a lot of money for Guide Dogs for the Blind."

The 'ceremony' took place after Saul, a labrador belonging to neighbours of Rev Corless, befriended Foxy, a crossbreed, while taking his regular morning walk.

Marriage is something sacred and is unique to human beings - to talk of the marriage of animals is unhelpful Bishop of Gloucester

It was conducted in the garden of Saul's owner, Mike Kelly, a 51-year-old civil servant.

"It was not intended as a real wedding. This was a bit of fun that has been taken out of context," Rev Corless said.

The Right Reverend Michael Perham, Bishop of Gloucester, told BBC News Online: "Canon Corless was probably not aware that the event was described as a marriage, and indeed what he did was not to perform a marriage ceremony but to bless the animals, something the Church has always done.

"Marriage is something sacred and is unique to human beings. To talk of the marriage of animals is unhelpful.

"I am unhappy that any priest of this diocese should be involved in such a ceremony, however light-hearted the intention, and I hope clergy will enquire more fully before agreeing to be involved in such events."