Chilean team Colo-Colo use rescue dogs as mascots in hope to find them a new home

'We are very grateful for this collaboration and we hope that many very beautiful things will come from it'

Chilean football team Colo-Colo has started using rescue dogs as matchday mascots in a hope to find them new homes.

All eleven of the Santiago-based outfit's players were seen walking out with dogs in their arms or on leashes ahead of the club's Primera Division opener against Antofagasta at the weekend.

Colo-Colo has teamed up with the local Union de Amigos de los Animales (UAA) animal shelter for the initiative.

"We are very happy because one of our directors, Carolina Castro, managed to motivate a team as important as Colo-Colo, which is a popular team," explained UAA vet Alejandra Rojas in a press conference before the game.

"The idea is to work together with the team... to raise awareness, affection and love for the animals."

Colo-Colo - the most successful team in Chilean football history - had a near sell-out crowd at their 47,000 capacity Estadio Monumental on Sunday, giving the needy rescue dogs plenty of potential homeowners.

The Colo-Colo players - and their dog mascots - led out by captain Esteban Paredes (Colo-Colo/Facebook)

"It is a milestone for us that we can count on such an important team to support us in this work that has been going on for so many years," Rojas added.

"We are very grateful for this collaboration and we hope that many very beautiful things will come from it."

Colo-Colo players pose with their rescue dog mascots ahead of a 0-0 draw with Antofagasta (Colo-Colo/Facebook)

The dogs didn't prove to be lucky mascots for Colo-Colo, however, with the game against Antofagasta finishing 0-0.