There are up to one million free-roaming dogs on Romania's streets who are being hunted down by 'dog catchers' and stuck in squalid state-run pounds where 'they are waiting to die'. The 'euthanasia' of strays was legalised by the Romanian parliament in September 2013 to help reduce a massive overpopulation. But a group of former models called the K-9 Angels have rescued hundreds of  dogs from the streets where they would be savagely killed - and re-homed at least 700 in the UK. The Angels claim government funds for programmes aimed at neutering the animals were never implemented and the animals were dealt with in the 'most cruel way'. Pola Pospieszalska, Anneka Svenska and former Playboy model Victoria Eisermann are devoted to saving the mistreated dogs - and finding them loving homes. Scroll down for videos . The K-9 Angels charity fronted by singer Pola Pospieszalska (left), TV wildlife presenter Anneka Svenska (right) and former Playboy model Victoria Eisermann (centre) is devoted to saving the mistreated dogs . Rescue: The K-9 Angels (Pola pictured) have rescued hundreds of stray dogs from being killed in Romania and re-homed them in the UK . Second chance: Pola, Anneka and Victoria (pictured) have re-homed at least 700 dogs in the UK and spayed over 2,500 dogs . Overpopulation: Charities estimate there are between 500,000 and one million free-roaming dogs on Romania's streets . Cruelty: Pola described to MailOnline how 'tens of thousands of animals have been caught by dogcatchers (pictured) and killed in most horrific ways' Inhumane: The dogs are supposed to be euthanised humanely with a legal injection but in reality they can be clubbed to death, set on fire and left for dead . Abandoned: Charities have told MailOnline that state-appointed 'dog catchers' are rounding up dogs and taking them to holding pens where they are 'waiting to die' Attack: Pola from K-9 Angels (pictured) she says the 'killing law' was passed following an 'isolated incident' in 2013, when a four-year-old boy was mauled to death by a pack of 'vicious stray dogs' Brutal: The Angels claim government funds for programmes which were designed to neuter dogs were never implemented and the animals were dealt with in the 'most cruel way' They say the state-appointed catchers round up dogs and take them to holding pens where they can be 'clubbed to death' and set on fire. Pola told MailOnline: 'Romania's stray dog situation is probably one of the worst in Europe and sad, neglected, hungry animals are a part of Romanian landscape. She says the 'killing law' was passed following an 'isolated incident' in 2013, when a four-year-old boy was mauled to death by a pack of 'vicious stray dogs'. Adding: 'Tens of thousands of animals have been caught by dogcatchers and killed in most horrific ways. 'It is common in Romania for them not to use a euthanasia injection, but instead dispose of dogs in cheaper ways such as injecting paint thinner into the heart, strangling, clubbing to death.' The founders of K-9 Angels describe the pounds as 'filthy, dirty, short on food'  and in truth - just a place to dump these dogs so they die away from the public'. Here, the dogs suffer from mange - a skin disease caused by parasitic mites - and fights between them erupt regularly. Despite the harsh conditions they are subjected to, the animals who are lucky enough to be alive still vie for the Angels' affection when they are eventually rescued. Animal charity Four Paws - which has helped neuter around 150,000 stray dogs - says the situation for dogs became much worse when the killing law was introduced. Its spokesperson Adam Rahman told MailOnline: 'Dogs are brutally rounded up by dog catchers and taken to pounds where they are subjected to poor conditions and cruel treatment, and are essentially waiting to be killed. 'The organisation responsible for catching the dogs estimated that they had captured around 25,000 stray dogs in Bucharest alone since the legislation was passed, and overseen the killing of around 16,000.' The organisation successfully convinced the Bucharest Court of Appeal to suspend the legislation last summer, but they say the brutal situation on the streets remains the same. Killing: The Romanian government implemented the culling programme to stem the overpopulation of stray dogs but a WHO report says killing the animals will not solve the problem . Humane: Victoria (pictured) and the K-9 Angels have so far re-home at least 700 dogs in the UK and spayed thousands more . Change: Their Kent-based charity's website is full of pictures of once-doomed dogs who have found happy homes in the UK . Inspiration: The Angels were formed when Anneka (left) saw of a picture of a desperate Romanian stray on Facebook and decided to do help with her friends Pola and Victoria (right) Found: Like the Angels, charity League of Rescue has also rescued hundreds of stray dogs like Tommy (pictured) from Romania's streets . Happy home: Tommy - who was found malnourished in the back of a rundown car - is now living comfortably in the UK . Desperate: They also found Mabel (pictured) at a train station in an appalling condition and a severe wound on her left paw . Happy ending: Mabel - whose leg was crushed - is one of the lucky ones to be rescued but 16,000 dogs have been culled since it was legalised at the end of 2013 . Inspired: The K-9 Angels were forged when TV wildlife presenter Anneka saw a photograph of a desperate stray dog on the streets of Romania on Facebook . Earlier this month, the charity found evidence of a massive and illegal cull of stray dogs in the small southern town of Clinceni. They discovered dozens of dead dogs with visible wounds on their heads and bodies left to rot in black bags in the forest. 'This is another serious violation of the law on stray animals and proof that, although the killing law has been repealed since June 20, 2014,' Four Paws said. The cull is supposed to reduce the overpopulation of stray dogs in the country but a World Health Organisation report claimed: 'In none of the study areas did the elimination of dogs by any method (catching, shooting or other) have any significant long-term effect on dog population size.' The K-9 Angels were forged when TV wildlife presenter Anneka saw a photograph of a desperate stray dog on the streets of Romania on Facebook. It was the plight of that dog - named Angel - that inspired the trio to officially form the organisation in November 2011. Their petition to calling on the European Union to investigate the 'disappearance' of the public funds designated for a neutering programme has gained over 28,000 signatures. Gruesome: Charity Four Paws discovered dozens of dogs with severe wounds to their head and bodies in the a southern Romanian town . Grotesque: While another charity Dog Rescue Romani claim to see piles of dead dogs left on village roads . A rescue worker with Dog Rescue Romani said they regularly see piles of dead dogs left in the middle of village roads when they patrol the south-west of Romania. Its spokesperson Marius Costache told MailOnline: 'The scenes are such that alive dogs and some puppies were eating from the other dead dogs within the pile. 'We asked someone who said they saw a large truck passing by at 3.30am that night who dumped the pile and left. 'We called our local police right at that moment and the answer was 'so what do you want us to do?' 'With the euthanasia law or without, it the slaughter in Romania public shelters or streets will continue.' Between March and May 2014, a team of investigators from Four Paws investigated 43 public shelters in Romania – from around 81 currently registered with the Romanian vet authorities. The results of the investigation were shocking  as they found that not one of these public shelters in Romania conformed to the law regulating the national programme on stray dogs.
Euthanasia programme legalised in 2013 to quell overpopulation of strays . But the dogs are being killed inhumanely in squalid pounds, charities say . The K-9 Angels have saved over 700 from these pens and re-homed them . Pola, Anneka and Victoria claim public funds to neuter dogs were ignored . GRAPHIC CONTENT WARNING .