Russia is experiencing a canine crisis. In the days preceding the Olympics, the Russian government mandated the removal of stray dogs from the streets of Sochi. Basically this is a death sentence for thousands of dogs– but our comrades in pup ruv are taking a stand. <3

PovoDog, a shelter funded by Russian billionaire Oleg Deripaska, is racing against the clock to save as many strays as possible before the Olympic welcome ceremony.

“We were told, ‘Either you take all the dogs from the Olympic Village or we will shoot them,’” said Olga Melnikova, who is coordinating the rescue efforts with Deripaska’s charity. (The New York Times)

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Rescued dogs receive medical treatment + vaccinations and are available for adoption to locals and Olympic guests. Shelter volunteers hope that visiting athletes will take home a pup even if they don’t take home a medal.

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The coolest thing is that dog-loving Sochi residents are also taking matters into their own paws. Makeshift shelters are popping up around the area in response to the lack of space to keep the strays. Vlada Provotorova is a local dentist and dog-obsessed hooman who has gathered an all-female team of volunteers to transport as many pups as they can manage to these “shelters.”

Provotorova estimates that she and her friends have saved about 100 pups, but admits that it is a small dent in Sochi’s stray population. She hopes that this will be a huge wakeup call for Russian dog owners.

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“We need a program of sterilization for dogs,” Nadezhda Mayboroda, a Sochi resident who is working at [PovoDog] said to The New York Times. “People are not really well-educated that it is necessary to sterilize their dogs at home.”

High paws to all the folks helping these pups.

PUPDATE!! Here’s How YOU Can Help!

Humane Society International has released a comprehensive guide to adopting a Sochi street dog. The guide includes shelters and groups vetted by the HSI, Sochi veterinary information, airlines that will transport the pups and more.

Recommended Shelters:

Помощь бездомным животным г. Сочи (Help for Homeless animals in Sochi) Private Shelter: Websites (English language site coming soon!): i.https://www.facebook.com/groups/dogsochi/ ii. https://vk.com/club_sochianimals | Contact information: i. Vlada Provotorova: (0117)9882330615 ([email protected]) ii. Dina Filipova: (0117)89186001766 ([email protected]) iii. Lina Masunova: (0117)9649446644 | Locations: i. Adler district, Krasnodar Region, Russia ii. Baranovka district, Krasnodar Region, Russia

ПовоДог (“Povodog”) Private Shelter: Website for its parent charity: https://volnoe-delo.ru/en/ | Contact information: i. Ekaterina Svetlichnaya: (0117)4957284954 ([email protected]or [email protected]) | Location: Baranovka district, Krasnodar Region, Russia

Добромир (“Dobromir”) Municipal Shelter: Contact information: i. Shelter Director Anna Urievna Vichkareva, office phone: (0117)8622682005 or (0117)8622680278 ii. General Director of the charity Liudmila Albertovna Sknarina. | Location: Shelter: Baranovka district, Krasnodar Region, Russia; Office: 13 Abrikosovskaya street, Krasnodar Region, Russia

Want to help but can’t take home a friend?

Sign a petition asking the government to end the executions: Care2, Change.org.

Email the city of Sochi asking for them to use more effect sterilization methods to manage the stray population.

Support the work of the World Society for the Prevention of Animals (WSPA). They have been fighting the battle to end inhumane animals culls in Sochi and other parts of the world for years. Visit their site to learn more or to support their work.