Watch: Russian football players win hearts after walking on field with shelter dogs
In the viral video, the players of the Football Club (FC) Zenit are walking into the Gazprom Arena with as many as 11 pooches and are seen urging spectators to adopt stray canines

The video has garnered over 2 million views in less than 24 hours on Twitter alone. Image Courtesy: @fczenit_en/Twitter
Just days before Christmas, players of a Russian professional football club did something that has given people a reason to smile.
The players walked with the shelter dogs in their hands on the field to encourage adoption of stray canines. This humane act of the players is melting hearts online and the video went viral on social media platforms.
In the video, the players of the Football Club (FC) Zenit, also called Zenit Saint Petersburg, are walking into the Gazprom Arena with as many as 11 pooches. They are seen cradling the different breeds in front of the cameras. The team members are also seen urging spectators to adopt shelter animals and give them a permanent home.
The event took place on 3 December, before the team's match against Rostov. Though the match ended in a draw, the grand gesture of the players made spectators go gaga over the team. Watch the heart-melting video here:
https://twitter.com/fczenit_en/status/1466800489723572235
The gesture was made taking into account Russia's Pet Day celebrations, which were held on 30 November. Taking the celebrations forward, the football club joined hands with the Russian Kynological Foundation to start their new community project called — ‘Dogs are better at home!’
The video has garnered over 2 million views in less than 24 hours on Twitter alone. The video also received a variety of reactions, with several social media users praising the attitude of the players.
Several people declared that the Zenit Saint Petersburg was now one of their favourite teams, while others were appreciative of the players for their grand gesture.
The football club thanked people across the world for showering their love on them. The generosity of the football players also drew attention towards the local shelters involved in taking care of stray dogs. The club said that it aimed to help raise funds for local dog shelters and highlight the responsibility and care that are needed when people take home a pet.
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