Hundreds of dog owners have had their pets blessed in the Bolivian city of El Alto as part of Saint Roch’s Day – named after the patron saint of dogs.
A Catholic priest held a special outdoor mass to celebrate Saint Roch and led a procession through the streets of the city that ended with a blessing of the animals and their owners with holy water.
Saint Roch was born in France around 1295 and is said to have been saved by a dog who brought him food after he contracted the plague.
