Gus Kenworthy, Rescued Sochi Dogs Appear on TODAY Show

Sports lovers around the globe cheered when Gus Kenworthy flew through the air to a silver medal win in the Sochi winter Olympic games, and now animal lovers are applauding the arrival of dogs who flew thousands of miles for the chance to embark on a new chapter in their lives– all thanks to the efforts of the doggedly devoted freestyle skier and his pal, photographer Robin Macdonald.

After a month of battling roadblocks (which in the end brought about two pups’ passing), three of the canines who came to symbolize the plight of Sochi street dogs have made their way to the United States, and are already lapping up the limelight with an appearance on the TODAY show.

Talking with Matt Lauer and Tamron Hall about the international response to the dog’s tale, the Olympian stated: “We’ve had people come up to both of us and tell us what they either donated to the Humane Society or went and adopted a dog here, so that’s awesome to see. I think that we’re really just hoping to bring awareness to the plight of the dogs in Russia and hopefully set up some shelters and stuff there. So in future world cups and different events, there will be a better system in place so this doesn’t happen again. So if someone wants to take a dog back, they can take a dog back. It’s not going to be a horrible process.”

The goal of offering the dogs a new lease on life was achieved with the help of Humane Society International, an organization with a continued commitment to help Sochi’s dogs in need.

 Photo Credit: Gus Kenworthy/Twitter