First there was the Kitten Bowl, then the Puppy Bowl, and now, we’re about to spoil you even more with the cutest Winter Olympics to date — a PyeongChang for adoptable pets.
Charlotte Mecklenburg Animal Care and Control, the municipal shelter for the Charlotte, North Carolina area, is hosting the “Cold Weather Games,” and the contenders are potential rescues. Forget Adam Rippon and Lindsey Vonn, these cat-letes and pup-petitors blow any Olympic coverage out of the water.
Much like the Kitten and Puppy Bowls, these Cold Weather Games use the popularity of a worldwide event to promote animal adoption, and those featured are either strays found around Charlotte or pets surrendered to Animal Care and Control, the facility’s public info specialist Melissa Knicely told Metro.
Contrary to some reports declaring this their third annual Cold Weather Games, Knicely said the Olympic-themed competition is actually a first for them — though they have organized similar contests in the past around the Final Four Championship.
Besides the obvious reason that it’s just so darn cute, Animal Care and Control decided to start these Cold Weather Games “to showcase our animals in a fun way,” Knicely said, “and to show the diversity in what animals we have in adoption.”
“It takes away the negative connotation with municipal shelters,” she added. “And we’re really putting a big push on our social media because that’s how we’re getting a lot of attention on our adoption [program].”
The events of these Games, which the shelter is posting on YouTube and their Facebook and Twitter pages, are just as riveting as the real thing. There’s Kitten Bobsled, Doggy Downhill and even Puppy Slalom.
And even though the animals might chew the equipment and go off course (a lot), we don’t care — it’s worth the watch.
Footage from the Cold Weather Games
Doggie Downhill
The dog seen here, King, is still available for adoption.
Kitten Bobsled
Turtle Dove, the bobsledding kitten, will be available for adoption soon!
Puppy Hockey
Puppy Slalom
These puppies, as the facility noted on Twitter, have “happily found new homes.”
Kitty Hockey
Most of the puppies featured in the Games have already been adopted, Knicely said, but you can still adopt a pet from this facility by heading to their website. Or, you can message them directly on socia media with any specific questions you have.
So what’s the next event of the Cold Weather Games, you ask? Kitty Snowboarding. Oh, and maybe even a closing ceremony if we’re lucky.
