In the days leading up to the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics, dog ruvers raced to save some of the stray dogs the city planned to cull in its attempt to “clean up” before the ceremonies. Olympians, charities, regular folks, and even airlines rallied together to rescue as many pups as possible.
Team USA Olympic skier Gus Kenworthy got major high paws from dog lovers everywhere by spreading awareness about the impending doom these pups were facing, and sharing the story of how he adopted a family of strays, prompting other Olympians and to step in and help.
Ten of the Sochi pups, who had been under the care of PovoDog, a privately financed Sochi shelter, were rescued by Humane Society International in the U.S. Russian airline Aeroflot provided free plane tickets to all ten pups to ensure they had a way to get to their new furever homes.
But what about the dogs who didn’t find a home with Olympians; where are they now? National Geographic caught up with two of the lucky pups who settled in the Washington, D.C. area for this heartwarming update. Prepare to feel all the feels.
