In Madrid, the only presence on the roads and pathways are the emergency services, public transport, taxis and the homeless. If you are not buying essential food or medicine you cannot leave your home due to social distancing.

The only exception to the rule? Dog owners. There have been reports of some owners attempting to rent their dogs online. Police were quick to investigate and shut down these illegal posts.

A nation of dog owners

Spaniards love their animals, a survey two years ago found there were 13 million registered pets in this country, 93 percent of which were dogs.

As a dog owner, freelance photographer Denis Doyle can leave his house if his pet Yupi needs to go to the toilet, but he needs to keep his social distance at all times.

"It's great as this is actually my son's dog and he gave it to me because I am separated," he says. "My son lives with his mum and he knew that I was going to be on my own here. So my son Santi thought that it would be nice to have a bit of company. Also, so that he can concentrate on his studies via the internet. This does break the monotony for me during lockdown."

Good for the mind and body

The physical benefits of dog walking are well known, but it's also known to have therapeutic effects as well. That is vital because the World Health Organization has emphasized the importance of a strong mental health response to COVID-19.

Doyle said: "The great thing is that we get to go out twice a day. So we are allowed out and the dog has to go to the toilet. So it's nice to get out very early in the morning and very late at night. It's a friend, a buddy I can cuddle once I have disinfected him after I bring him back from a walk. It helps a lot."

Frustration and boredom have led the Spanish public to create new ways of exercising and communicating, but it seems participating in one of the oldest recreational activities in dog walking could be one of the best ways to get through this current crisis.