IOC: "Healthy" Dogs Not Being Killed in Sochi

Reported mass slaughter of strays disturbed some

Olympic chiefs tried to ease concern about the fate of stray dogs in Sochi on Wednesday, saying only sick and dying animals were being destroyed before the city hosts the Winter Games.

In the latest problem to mar President Vladimir Putin's preparations for the Olympics, animal rights activists have protested to him over reports that stray dogs are being culled to clear them off the streets before the Games begin on Friday.