Bolivians celebrate Saint Roch day, church honours patron saint of canines
Saint Roch day in Bolivia
Honouring the patron saint of dogs, Bolivians gathered in the country's capital of La Paz to celebrate Saint Roch day.
Marching to protest against animal abuse, leashed dogs were dressed in costumes such as police officers or astronauts with jet packs.
Dogs are blessed with holy water after mass at the parish of Villa Adela which pays tribute to French noble Saint Roch. According to a legend, he travelled to Italy to care for plague victims and became the patron of dogs.
According to Villa Adela’s priest, Justino Limachi, “Dogs are creatures of God and must be cared for. First we vaccinate them and then we give blessings starting with the owners for them to take care of the dogs because we see so many street dogs suffering hunger and cold.”
Monica Hurtado, who was among the people attending was owner of two pups, told news agency Reuters that dogs brought joy to her life after her parent’s passing.
The celebrations were brought forward a couple of days to land on the weekend as Saint Roch’s day is usually celebrated on August 16.
Nearby street dogs fought over scraps in garbage dumps while owners brought their groomed pooches for the mass.
With about a half million living on the streets, the Ministry of Health estimates there is an overpopulation of 3 million dogs in Bolivia.
(With inputs from agencies)
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