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The Russian government hired a firm to poison the dogs before the games. The owner of the firm called the animals "biological trash" that would disrupt the Olympics and attack tourists.
Many of the dogs are pets that have been abandoned, or the offspring of those pets, according to the New York Times. In response to the systematized culling, a Russian billionaire opened a dog "shantytown," the NYT reports, and has been rounding up dogs in the Olympic Park to save them from execution.
Based on anecdotal reports from journalists in the city, Sochi is absolutely teaming with stray dogs. They have been spotted at the train station, the coastal venues, the Olympic Park, and outside the Olympic Village.
One even ran onto the cross country skiing course on Thursday.
They are adorable, and seem to be harmless:
Zen-like stray dog at Sochi airport. pic.twitter.com/Onve0tJtK8
- Kevin O'Flynn (@oflynnkevin) February 5, 2014
Sochi stray a day (unless they take them away) pic.twitter.com/dQVaAgmugX
- Kevin O'Flynn (@oflynnkevin) February 6, 2014
An IOC spokesperson says no healthy stray dogs will be put to death in Sochi - http://t.co/SBqr82xjPY pic.twitter.com/Z630uzY1Kj
- Sporting News (@sportingnews) February 5, 2014
Some strays, like these at Gorky Media Center, are safe. For now. http://t.co/oSqlqImtEZ #sochistrays #sochi2014 pic.twitter.com/YIsIsSqmSn
- Jim Luttrell (@jimluttrell) February 6, 2014
Blatch named this one Vladimir. @blatchkiki pic.twitter.com/a218I5diRm
- Vicki Hall (@vickihallch) February 5, 2014
My first Sochi dog and I hope not the last. pic.twitter.com/oOjlWir2sf
- christie blatchford (@blatchkiki) February 3, 2014
Sochi dog No 2 pic.twitter.com/v6jZVRQ3t9
- christie blatchford (@blatchkiki) February 3, 2014
Dogs of Sochi Nos 6 and 7 pic.twitter.com/AZkxhnk502
- christie blatchford (@blatchkiki) February 5, 2014
Stray dogs still a big topic in Sochi. Saw this guy sleeping outside Mountain (!) media center. He seemed pleasant. pic.twitter.com/Cm0zWgiPLo
- Sam Borden (@SamBorden) February 6, 2014