(CELEBRITIES/DOG RESCUE) Sochi dogs are finding a silver lining thanks to Team USA skier Gus Kenworthy.
The American freestyler won the slopestyle silver-medal at the Sochi Winter Olympics in Russia. But taking home a medal isn’t enough for the dog-loving athlete. He’s also taking four stray pups and their mom, who he found on the streets of Rosa Khutor.
Sochi is overrun with thousands of stray dogs and cats at risk of being killed. Even though volunteers created makeshift shelters to house these helpless animals during the 2014 Olympics, many of them still remain homeless.
Kenworthy and his Olympic-sized heart-of-gold are stepping up to help, and he’s not the only one.
Humane Society International (HSI) Director Kelly O’Meara told USA Today:
“I think it’s a situation where everyone’s hearing about the very sad and terrible means of killing these dogs and people are feeling a bit helpless in what they can do…this is a life-or-death situation for many of them that are being seen in and around Sochi, and that’s why people are sort of jumping in and asking how they can help.”
Kenworthy—always ready to jump in—is helping in the best way possible. The 22-year-old wants to bring all five dogs to the U.S.
His plan is to adopt just one of the dogs, and bring the lucky pup to his home in Telluride, Colorado. As for the rest of the pups, his family is reportedly ready to take them all in.
The silver-medal winner keeps his fans updated on Twitter:
@guskenworthy on Feb 12, 2014: Also, for the people wondering, I’ve lined up kennels 4 the pups & made vaccination appointments. Doing all I can to bring them home w/ me!
You don’t need to be an Olympic medal-winner or fly to Russia to help these desperate dogs.
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