Santa paws is coming to city! Rescue canine don Christmas jumpers for walkies to Buckingham Palace
More than 100 rescue dogs donned their Christmas jumpers for a special walk to Buckingham Palace in an annual festive parade.
The Rescue Dogs of London Christmas jumper parade walk, back for a second year, has become a popular tradition in London which raises funds for two rescue dog charities.
Money raised is donated to rescue dogs at ZEM Rescues, which saves dogs from Greece, and Slaughterhouse Survivors, which saves dogs hailing from China.
Images show dogs of all shapes, sizes and breeds dressed in their Christmas best for the occasion as they march through the capital with their owners.
May Wong, 66, who co-organised Saturday’s festivities with Teresa Keohane, said: ‘We wanted to celebrate them, because dogs aren’t just for Christmas but forever, and we wanted to get the message out to everyone.
‘There are so many rescues who will never know what Christmas is. We need to give them a second chance.’
Below are some of the outstanding festive canine looks that graced the streets of London on Saturday afternoon.
A sweet little white dog called Snowy dressed up as Santa and played in the leaves
Charlotte and owner Felicia, both dressed in their Christmas best, pose for the camera
Zoe, who is disabled, saw her wheels decorated as a sleigh, winning her first place in the International Rescue best-dressed competition
Elmo, a four-year-old Golden Retriever wears a Christmas jumper in St James’s Park
Lola dons a red Christmas dress complete with sparkles and white trim for the annual event
This dog was dressed up in warm festive gear for the walk near Buckingham Palace
These two small dogs walked through the fallen leaves dressed as Santa’s helpers
This dog was patient enough to pose for their owner who got a sweet snap of them in antlers
Dog owners proudly paraded their pooches down the Mall as part of the second annual event
One proud owner held her pup aloft to show off their festive green outfit outside the Palace
This sweet pup was clearly interested in the camera as it paraded along the mall with its owner
A dog dressed up warmly against the cold weather in some fetching festive gear
The walk also included a Best Christmas Jumper competition for the dogs to compete in
Two very happy pups pose for the camera – one dressed as Santa, and the other as an elf
The dogs weren’t the only ones who dressed for the occasion, as owners wore their own festive hats or carried festive signs to celebrate the upcoming Christmas season
Two dogs wearing Christmas collars were also among the pooches who took part
It was a stellar event for the organisers, attracting more than 100 dogs and their owners
Zoe, who was adopted from China through an organisation called Eleventh Hour
These three dogs were eyeing up the competition, all competing for the best Christmas jumper title at the event
One owner kitted their pooch out with a fantastic outfit, featuring a toy Santa on its back
The dogs and their owners paraded down the Mall and posed outside Buckingham Palace
These dogs were clearly enjoying the festive atmosphere and the fallen leaves in the park
Millie was dressed up in a cosy and sparkly red number, complete with a matching hat
The event is now in its second year, and is starting to become a tradition in the capital
Dogs and owners were encouraged to wear their Christmas best, with this pooch donning some fetching golden antlers and a large, spiky collar for the occasion
Images show dogs of all shapes, sizes and breeds dressed in their Christmas best for the walk
Everyone gathered outside the King’s official residence at the end of the parade down the Mall
