Leona Lewis backs anti-rabies campaign

Leona Lewis is urging her fans to back a new campaign aimed at saving dogs from the scourge of rabies.

The Bleeding Love hitmaker has teamed up with officials at the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA) to highlight its Red Collar crusade, which encourages owners to have their pet pooch vaccinated.

The animals are then given a red collar to assure other pet owners they are safe from the disease. WSPA staff hope the campaign will help to save an estimated 20 million rabid dogs who are killed annually.

Lewis says, "I think it's absolutely horrific that 20 million dogs are killed every year because of the fear of rabies when there is an alternative solution. I really want to help WSPA to spread the word worldwide and end the cruelty that is happening at the moment. By educating people and getting vaccinations out there, we're helping both humans and animals.

"No one needs to die of rabies - not dogs and not people. Rabies is entirely preventable. Vaccinating a dog against rabies costs just a fraction of what one person would need to spend on getting treatment after being bitten by an unvaccinated dog."