12 Feb 2026
By Humane Society of Ventura County
The Humane Society of Ventura County was honored to welcome Team USA Olympic snowboarder Maddie Mastro last fall for a special visit. Fresh off the slopes and full of energy, Maddie spent time meeting many of our adoptable pups, highlighting the importance of choosing adoption and supporting local rescues. While she’s known around the world for her incredible talent on the halfpipe, it’s her compassion for animals that truly won us over.
According to Maddie, her love for rescue began at home. Inspired by her parents, Chris and Eileen, the 3x Olympian grew up in a home where pets in need of extra TLC were always part of the family. That lifelong appreciation for rescue has stayed with Maddie, prompting her to adopt her own fur baby, Pippy, from Pop Culture Rescue in 2022. We're grateful she continues to use her platform to encourage others to adopt and support shelters like HSVC!
During her visit, Maddie met several of our shelter residents, including a sweet and affectionate Pitbull named Dutchess and an energetic Border Collie mix named Roma. Both pups were featured in the NBC4 Los Angeles spotlight, and we're happy to report that both have been adopted since filming!
Today, February 12th, Maddie is back on the world stage, competing in the Women’s Halfpipe Finals in the Milan Cortina Olympics. As she takes on the competition, we’ll be cheering her on not just as an elite athlete but as a dedicated advocate for animals in need. From everyone at the HSVC, thank you, Maddie, for helping spread the word that rescue animals can be champions too!
