300 Dogs Descend On Paris To Take A Stand Against Abandonment

On Sunday June 19, a very unusual event took place in Paris: more than 300 dogs and their human families were out in full force to say a loud and clear "no" to abandonment.

^{Source: @Marc Gonzales Burga}

The third Charity Walk, organised by Holidog and sponsored by Purina, gave us the chance to spread a very important message just before the summer holidays, during which 60,000 cats and dogs are tragically abandoned.

"Purina is taking part in this walk which is a perfect example of the values we live out on a daily basis. We believe wholeheartedly that life is better when humans and animals live together", said Magali Gavaret, head of communications at Purina France.

^{Source: @Marc Gonzales Burga}

In the very heart of Paris, starting just a few steps from the Eiffel Tower at the Trocadero, the hundreds of dogs of every size and colour gave passers-by quite a surprise...and helped raise awareness at the same time.

^{Source: @Nathalie Massaria}

A video posted by Akita pirate (@akoya.pirate) on Jun 19, 2016 at 2:18pm PDT

The ambassador Delphine Wespiser: a Miss France who is truly committed to animal rights

Delphine Wespiser, the animal-lover who was elected Miss France in 2012, did Holidog the honour of accompanying us for the whole walk!

^{Source: @Parisian Chow Chow}

^{Source: @Holidog}

20,000 meals for rescue dogs, all thanks to the walkers

In addition to giving animal-lovers and their furry companions a chance to have some fun together, the Charity Walk provided an opportunity to collect donations for about ten organisations who are fighting every day to give abandoned animals a better life.

Thanks to your generosity, more than 20,000 meals will be provided to boarders at rescue centres!

Many rescue dogs also attended the walk. They were presented to the crowds of people with the hope that they would find a family ready to give them a new start in life.

^{Source: @Maryannick Zeghad Paul} 

"It's really important that we make a concrete effort to spread awareness about abandonment to the greatest possible number of people, but also to help those animals by supporting rescue centres across France", concluded Julien Muller, founder of Holidog and Pet Alert.

If you were there, don't hesitate to share your photos in the comments section! And we'll see you very soon for the fourth Charity Walk.

^{Source: @Marc Gonzales Burga}