U.S. Silver Medalist Skier Gus Kenworthy Is Rescuing Stray Olympic Puppies
11 years ago

Fresh off landing a silver medal in what was an all American podium in the slopestyle discipline, Colorado native Gus Kenworthy looks as if he’s going to bring some other hardware home with him from the Olympics–in the form of kennels, that is…

 

According to CBS, Kenworthy picked up four puppies and their mother on the streets around Rosa Khutor, the ski resort roughly 90 minutes from Sochi, where much of the alpine and slopestyle competitions are taking place.

“I’ve been around animals all my life,” Kenworthy said of the hundreds of dogs roaming the streets in Sochi and the mountains above the Olympic city. “It’s hard to watch.”

Just like those unexpected animal cruelty commercials that break your heart and ruin whatever show you’re watching at the same time, it’s easy to understand Kenworthy’s compassion here.

Ahead of the Olympics, a report stated that thousands of strays were wandering the streets of Sochi and that Russian officials had plans to euthanize them, so as to not have a bad showing when the games began. After much public outcry, many more humane initiatives were put into action, hopefully resulting in the pups finding good homes.

There’s no doubt that this will be the case for the five that Kenworthy will bring back to the States.

Reportedly, arrangements are already in place for the dogs. Once they arrive in the US and get vaccinated, Kenworthy’s family plans to adopt four of them. Gus says he’ll keep one for himself.

Whether it’s a boy or girl, Sochi might be a pretty fitting name, eh?

Great display of humanitarianism, Gus, and thanks for helping out with the medal count, too.

Sincerely,

The USA

[via CBS News, Deadspin]

  6. IM_AllStar

    This is an RFM I would agree, but its also a TFM. He now gets to carry around a bunch of puppies in the Olympic village. If there was any question as to who was smashing the most foreign ass, it has now been answered.

    11 years ago at 2:13 pm