Rome promotes adoption of dogs from kennels with red-carpet event. Rome's city-run kennels will stage a dog parade on Sunday 15 February as part of efforts to give shelter dogs a day out and increase their chances of finding a forever home. The initiative, now in its ninth edition, will be held at 11.00 at Parco Schuster, in the San Paolo area, where dogs from the municipal kennels at Muratella and Ponte Marconi will be the stars of the show. Titled Il canile va in città (The kennel goes to town), the parade also offers dog owners the opportunity to have their dogs microchipped and registered for free. Recent dog parades held in the city have attracted hundreds of people, with multiple dogs finding new homes. Rome's guarantor for animals, Patrizia Prestipino, who is responsible for raising awareness for animal protection, has hailed the ongoing initiative as "a great success" but added that "too many dogs are still locked up in kennels". How to adopt a dog in Rome "Kennels are places where it's emotionally difficult to enter," Prestipino said, "and it was precisely after listening to the many people who couldn't find the courage to cross that threshold and face the ongoing dog abandonment that I felt I'd reverse course and bring the dogs to the Romans, doing so in the most joyful way, in Rome's beautiful parks, but always with the understanding that this isn't just a game." Prestipino stressed the importance of giving the dogs "a few hours of freedom", but above all else "to seek a home and a family for them, promoting the adoption of these wonderful creatures, capable of giving immense affection and dedication." The goal is to promote "responsible adoptions" of dogs housed in the city's shelters, Prestipino said, adding: "It is never too early or too late to open your heart to the wonderful experience of adopting an animal". The latest dog parade comes after Rome launched a major dog adoption campaign last year, on three million milk cartons, bringing the message directly into the homes of the city's residents. For more details see city website. Photos Roma Capitale