It appears that many U.S. Olympians who traveled to Sochi this winter are not just coming home with a metal. This year, athletes are working towards a bringing home a new reward: stray animals in Sochi.
You may have heard about the thousand or so stray dogs in Sochi that have captured the hearts of millions in this seasons winter Olympics. It is reported that hundreds of dogs have been captured and killed since the Febuary 7th opening ceremony, with Russian authorities claiming that the animals would have been “extremely dangerous and a threat to safety” if left alone in the Sochi community. This excuse has not fused the outrage that continues to grow from animal rights advocates across the world. New York Times article Racing to Save the Stray Dogs of Sochi commented on the poorly handled matter by stating, “ this has sharply undercut the image of a friendly, welcoming Russia that President Vladmir Putin has sought to cultivate in recent months”.
The athlete who is recognized for creating the international media attention on these dogs as well as the trend of adoptions is silver medalist skier Gus Kenworthy. Kenworthy spent much of his free time in Sochi visiting shelters and feeding the animals as much as he could before he decided to attempt an adoption process. He stated in an interview, “ They kind of were portrayed as rabid animals that were dangerous…I think you’ve seen a lot of friendly, smart street dogs that have perhaps had a tough life and had to find ways to get food, shelter and water…” The Olympic medalist delayed his departure from Sochi in order to file the proper paperwork for the adoption process.
Since then, many other U.S. athletes have jumped at the opportunity of gaining a new, furry friend and have made adoptions of their own. U.S. mens hockey team player David Backes and his wife have created a group called Athletes for Animals, with the goal of creating as many shelters as possible for the dogs before their return home to the U.S.
While word continues to spread about the adoptions of the Sochi strays, it has led many sources to inform readers about American shelters who are also in need of families willing to adopt, with many struggling to accommodate the increasing number of animals coming in each year.
While Sochi dogs have gained worldwide attention, many are asking why the lack of human rights in Russia has not has not produced the same results in the media. The New York Times reported that as many as 2,000 families in the Sochi area were forced to abandon their homes in order for the construction process of Olympic stadiums to continue. The article states, “ Ironically, many of those families had to abandon their pets in the process, contributing to the stray dog population in the area”.