SOCHI, Russia -- An Olympic official has responded to new reports of stray dogs being euthanized at the 2014 Sochi Games, saying the animals are instead being “relocated.”

Animal activists protested last year when it was learned that the local Sochi government planned to catch and dispose of strays, which are common on the streets of this Black Sea resort.


At the time, authorities responded by promising to send the dogs to a shelter instead.

On Tuesday, Aleksandra Kosterina, the head of communications for the Sochi organizing committee, questioned reports that dogs were indeed being killed.


“There is a special service which catches the stray dogs and this [service] is the responsibility of the city administration,” Kosterina said. “As far as I know, they have a special shelter and they catch them and do medical examinations as to whether they are ill or not.”

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