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Stray Dog From Russia Arrives To L.A. In Search For Loving Home

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — One of thousands of stray dogs that stole the hearts of Americans during last year's Olympic games in Sochi, Russia took his first steps Friday on American soil.

The German Shepherd mix named Nick arrived to the U.S. after nearly 16 hours on board a flight and is expected to be up for adoption.

"I've heard so many good things about him," Diane Hariton, who rescued Nick, said. "Let's hope everything is what I heard. He's house broken. He's great with other dogs. He was found at a train station with five other dogs the morning they started shooting and poisoning 6,000 dogs."

As KCAL9's Adrianna Weingold reports, it's taken eight months to get Nick to Los Angeles so that he can be adopted.

"It takes one person to abandon a dog. It takes a village to save one and this is like an international village," said Robin Jampol, the founder of West Side German Shepherd Rescue, which started in 2002 in the back of an animal hospital.

Now, their kennel in downtown Los Angeles is full of pure breed German Shepherds and some mixes.

All, like Nick, are waiting for homes.

"It's very exciting and he's just adorable. I mean, he's definitely the type of dog that'll get adopted here right away," Jampol said.

About 135 dogs are up for adoption. Nick is expected to spend a couple of weeks at a foster home before going up for adoption.

For more information about how to adopt Nick, click here.

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