Animal rights activists suggest that in Spain, 100,000 dogs and 30,000 cats are abandoned every year.
ADVERTISEMENTAnimal lovers in Madrid showed some puppy love during this festive period, as they embarked on the San Perrestre walk against animal abandonment.
The annual event, which was organised by the animal protection group El Refugio, reminds us that dogs are not just for Christmas.
"This is the third time we have come to support the shelter and we are very happy to support especially the dogs that need a home," said one participant.
The event aims to highlight the growing need to adopt cats and dogs that have been abandoned and neglected.
"We were in Toledo, in the car, and suddenly we saw a brown thing in the field and we wondered what it was, and suddenly we realised it was a dog. It was abandoned," explained one dog walker.
Data from animal rights groups suggests that in Spain alone, around 100,000 dogs and 30,000 cats are abandoned every year. It's a sad reality that these animal lovers are hoping to change.