A giant dog and a cat flanked the sidewalk of Beijing's Shimao International Shopping Center on Saturday afternoon. The enormous stuffed animals were not an invasion but an effort to raise awareness about stray animals.

Sponsored by Purina Petcare, in conjunction with the Chinese animal-rescue group the Beijing Loving Animals Foundation, the event is the first of many to promote stray pet welfare across China.

According to a video provided by the BLAF, there are about 6 million stray cats and dogs in China. Purina's digital manager Wang Yue says the goal of Saturday's event in Beijing was to raise awareness of the issues of stray pets rather than push for adoptions.