A dog looks on at a private dog shelter in Baranovka near Sochi February 8, 2014.
American Olympians who have spent years building up the mental and physical steel to bring home a medal from the Winter Games have shown their hearts are still vulnerable to melting.
There are approximately 2,000 stray dogs in Sochi, and many U.S. athletes are attempting to adopt a puppy to take back home, reports the Wall Street Journal.
The local canine population reportedly exploded during the build-up to the game, largely thanks to the numerous construction workers in the area who provided food.
Skier Gus Kenworthy will be bringing home a silver medal and a pack of pooches from Sochi, according to his Twitter feed.
#Ad Traveling back from the Olympic Winter Games was s’cute! Glad to be back in the USA! cc: @McDonaldsCorp pic.twitter.com/rrm71bujom
— Gus Kenworthy (@guskenworthy) February 20, 2014
While a U.S. Olympic Committee spokesman was unable to confirm the number of U.S. athletes following Kenworthy’s lead, based on the Olympians’ Twitter accounts, “many are eager to scoop them up.”
[WSJ]