Annual campaign urges Romans not to dump their dogs during summer.

Rome's mayor Virginia Raggi has launched a campaign calling on residents of the capital not to abandon their pets as they head off on summer holidays.

As part of the campaign the city has issued posters featuring Roman actor Stefano Fresi alongside his dog Benji, with the slogan: “Se abbandoni, sei complice!”.

The mayor has called on dog owners to check the website of Rome's kennels for useful information such as dog fostering services, as well as encouraging "responsible adoption" from the city's dog shelters at Muratella and Ponte Marconi.

Raggi said that from January to today the two city kennels have welcomed more than 810 animals, 513 of which have been adopted.

To learn about the procedure involved in adopting a dog in Rome, see our guide.