"Nazgul, a two-year-old, 65-pound Czechoslovakian Wolfdog, was secured inside his spacious kennel, inside the house with an eight-foot-tall fence separating the Varescos' backyard from the trails where dozens of skiers would hurtle past later that day. Then, the photos of a dog running amongst ski racers on the homestretch started landing on Alice's phone. "We thought it was impossible," she said. "There are other wolfdogs in the valley.""
"Behold the saga of Nazgul, named for the villainous characters from the Lord of the Rings trilogy whose Olympic cameo began by alarming athletes and organizers but ended with social media and TV stardom. Since ambling out on course amid the women's team sprint qualification round Wednesday, Nazgul has landed on the pages of newspapers around the world, on fan forums for Lord of the Rings and on a post by the 5-million-followers-strong "WeRateDogs" Instagram account. (The verdict: "14/10 someone get him a medal.")"
Nazgul, a two-year-old, 65-pound Czechoslovakian Wolfdog, slipped out of a secured kennel inside a house in Lago di Tesero and crossed an eight-foot fence onto Olympic cross-country ski trails. The dog ran onto the course during the women's team sprint qualification, alarmed athletes and organizers, and was captured by a photo-finish camera. High-definition images and other photos spread rapidly on social media, including a post on the WeRateDogs Instagram account, earning Nazgul international attention. The owners, Enrico and Alice Varesco, spend significant time in the Northern Italy mountains and had chosen a wolfdog for that lifestyle despite breed warnings.
Read at www.npr.org
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