There was a bit of good news yesterday concerning the stray dogs of Sochi — 10 of them arrived in Washington D.C. and will be ready for adoption in a few weeks. It was the result of multi-organization effort, including Humane Society International and the Washington Animal Rescue League, to save as many dogs as possible from the region. This was especially good news for those of us who feared that the attention and money to save these animals would disappear following the Winter Olympics. [Read more…] about The Dogs of Sochi Update
Sochi
Dagomys Tea Plantataion
Vladimir Voronen, tea grower at Dagomy’s tea plantation near Sochi.
My assignments here in Sochi have been vastly different than I ever anticipated. I never thought I would be covering dog shelters, or a gay bar in Sochi. And I never thought I would end up at a place like Dagomys tea plantation, on the side of a mountain near Sochi. This place was spectacular, simply beautiful. It was so far away, so removed from the concrete, mud, and hustle of Olympic Park. [Read more…] about Dagomys Tea Plantataion
Fantastical Sochi
Russia is fantasically beautiful to me. Yes, it’s a bit strange, but I like strange (and, to me, if you’re not a little weird, there’s probably something wrong with you). The crazy signs, double toilets, food choices (meat salad has consistently been a buffet offering in my hotel complex, though I haven’t tried it so I can’t report on it), and Riviera Park. It’s all a photographer’s dream. [Read more…] about Fantastical Sochi
The Dogs of Sochi
Being a dog lover in Sochi can be painful. It hurts to see many beautiful animals just wandering the streets of this town, sometime still muddy and wet from last night’s rain, looking for the next meal. And it hurts to know that many of these dogs are being put down systematically by a company hired by the local government. This plan has definitely worked … I now see a fraction of the dogs that I did when I first arrived on Jan. 13. [Read more…] about The Dogs of Sochi
Sochi, Day 18
It’s been a few more days than I anticipated since my last post, but we’ve been getting a lot of work done around here. My role here for USA Today Sports Images (USATSI) involves a lot more than just taking pictures — I am working as a technician, helping wire the venues for our photographers (more on that in a bit), as well as working as a photo editor when the Games start. The reason I arrived so early was to aid some of our network technicians in much of the set up that has to take place for such a big event. [Read more…] about Sochi, Day 18