Russian man drives 20 hours to rescue 11 stray dogs in Sochi
Igor Ayrapetyan, 41, was upset about Sochi's plans to exterminate stray dogs, so he drove 990 miles over 20 hours, from Moscow to Sochi, to rescue 11 of them.
"The Olympics have always been a symbol of peace, wars have been halted for the duration of the Olympics. But in Russia, the Olympics are built on blood," he told Radio Free Europe.
Watch a video of the packed car ride home below:
He is now finding homes for the rescued dogs.
He hopes his epic road trip will help kickstart a more passionate animal-rights movement in Russia.
[ Good News: Russian billionaire steps in to save Sochi's stray dogs ]
"I went there not only to pick up these 10 dogs but also to draw attention to this issue, to rally people and get them organized," Airapetyan told Radio Free Europe. "In the future, I would like to unite animal-protection groups so people can act in a consolidated manner with joint information resources."
Last week we shared the story of Oleg V. Deripask, an animal-loving Russian billionaire coming to the aid of Sochi's strays by providing safety and medical care for dozens of dogs in a makeshift shelter.
Those rescued dogs will also all be available for adoption.