Animals Asia Foundation (AAF) has named 16 new "Dr Dogs" in Chengdu, capital of southwest China's Sichuan Province, bringing the city's total number of canine helpers to 77, sources with the foundation said on Monday.

The 16 dogs stood out from 24 candidates during Sunday's test held at Longjiang Road Primary School in downtown Chengdu.

They would need a comprehensive health check before starting work, hopefully in May, said Deng Yidan, an AAF project officer and examiner.

Deng said the animals would be registered as official AAF therapy dogs to visit hospitals, disabled centers, senior citizens' centers, orphanages and schools.

All the Dr Dog candidates were pets but many of them had been sold illegally or were homeless before being adopted by their present owners.

The AAF, a Hong Kong-based NGO, has named 77 Dr Dogs in Chengdu since the project was launched on the Chinese mainland in 2004.

These dogs are regularly taken to visit senior citizens' centers, orphanages and welfare homes for handicapped children.

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