As if Super Bowl festivities weren't exciting enough, somehow, puppies have become a part of the tradition. Watch the 13th annual Puppy Bowl on Animal Planet.
Doobert from Green Dogs Unleashed in Troy, Virginia is a “special needs dog.” He’s been featured on the Richmond Times-Dispatch, and he’s on “Team Ruff.”
(Courtesy Animal Planet/Keith Barraclough)
Courtesy Animal Planet/Keith Barraclough
Lucky is from Operation Education Rescue and on “Team Ruff.”
(Courtesy Animal Planet/Keith Barraclough)
Courtesy Animal Planet/Keith Barraclough
Winston from Double J Dog Rance is on “Team Fluff.”
(Courtesy Animal Planet/Keith Barraclough)
Courtesy Animal Planet/Keith Barraclough
Oliver from Florida Little Dog Rescue is on “Team Fluff.”
(Courtesy Animal Planet/Keith Barraclough)
Courtesy Animal Planet/Keith Barraclough
Parfait is from Florida Little Dog Rescue and on “Team Fluff.”
(Courtesy Animal Planet/Keith Barraclough)
Courtesy Animal Planet/Keith Barraclough
Parfait is from Florida Little Dog Rescue and on “Team Fluff.”
(Courtesy Animal Planet/Keith Barraclough)
Courtesy Animal Planet/Keith Barraclough
Smooshie is from Florida Little Dog Rescue and on “Team Ruff.”
(Courtesy Animal Planet/Keith Barraclough)
Courtesy Animal Planet/Keith Barraclough
Squirt is from Denver Dumb Friends League and on “Team Ruff.”
(Courtesy Animal Planet/Keith Barraclough)
Courtesy Animal Planet/Keith Barraclough
Slippers is from Help Save Pets and on “Team Fluff.”
(Courtesy Animal Planet/Keith Barraclough)
Courtesy Animal Planet/Keith Barraclough
Winter is from Paw Works and on “Team Ruff.”
(Courtesy Animal Planet/Keith Barraclough)
Courtesy Animal Planet/Keith Barraclough
Rory is from Florida Little Dog Rescue and on “Team Fluff.”
(Courtesy Animal Planet/Keith Barraclough)
Courtesy Animal Planet/Keith Barraclough
Dawson from Paw Works is on “Team Fluff.” Hope is from Unleashed and on “Team Fluff.”
(Courtesy Animal Planet/Keith Barraclough)
Courtesy Animal Planet/Keith Barraclough
Buttons from Florida Little Dog Rescue on “Team Fluff.”
(Courtesy Animal Planet/Keith Barraclough)
Courtesy Animal Planet/Keith Barraclough
Alexander Hamilpup from Florida Little Dog Rescue on “Team Fluff.”
(Courtesy Animal Planet/Keith Barraclough)
Courtesy Animal Planet/Keith Barraclough
Another photo of Hope from Unleashed on “Team Fluff.”
(Courtesy Animal Planet/Keith Barraclough)
Courtesy Animal Planet/Keith Barraclough
Puddles is from Florida Little Dog Rescue and on “Team Ruff.”
(Courtesy Animal Planet/Keith Barraclough)
Courtesy Animal Planet/Keith Barraclough
Wilma from New Life Animal Rescue on “Team Fluff.”
(Courtesy Animal Planet/Keith Barraclough)
Courtesy Animal Planet/Keith Barraclough
Blitz is from Dade County Animal Services in Miami, Florida and on “Team Fluff.”
(Courtesy Animal Planet/Keith Barraclough)
Courtesy Animal Planet/Keith Barraclough
Peanut is from Nevada SPCA and on “Team Fluff.”
(Courtesy Animal Planet/Keith Barraclough)
Courtesy Animal Planet/Keith Barraclough
Tucker is from Williamson County Animal Shelter and on “Team Fluff.”
(Courtesy Animal Planet/Keith Barraclough)
Courtesy Animal Planet/Keith Barraclough
Tucker is from Williamson County Animal Shelter and on “Team Fluff.”
(Courtesy Animal Planet/Keith Barraclough)
Courtesy Animal Planet/Keith Barraclough
Bizmark is on “Team Ruff.”
(Courtesy Animal Planet/Keith Barraclough)
Courtesy Animal Planet/Keith Barraclough
Precious is from ASPCA in New York and on “Team Fluff.”
(Courtesy Animal Planet/Keith Barraclough)
Courtesy Animal Planet/Keith Barraclough
Woody is from BarkTown Rescue and on “Team Ruff.”
(Courtesy Animal Planet/Keith Barraclough)
Courtesy Animal Planet/Keith Barraclough
Nyquist is from Bonnie’s Animal Rescue Kingdom and on “Team Fluff.”
(Courtesy Animal Planet/Keith Barraclough)
Courtesy Animal Planet/Keith Barraclough
Another photo of Oliver from Florida Little Dog Rescue, on “Team Fluff.”
(Courtesy Animal Planet/Keith Barraclough)
Courtesy Animal Planet/Keith Barraclough
Sable is from Animal Friends Humane Society and on “Team Fluff.”
(Courtesy Animal Planet/Keith Barraclough)
Courtesy Animal Planet/Keith Barraclough
Another photo of Winston from Double J Dog Rance, on “Team Fluff.”
(Courtesy Animal Planet/Keith Barraclough)
Courtesy Animal Planet/Keith Barraclough
Nikita from Florida Little Dog Rescue on “Team Fluff.”
(Courtesy Animal Planet/Keith Barraclough)
Courtesy Animal Planet/Keith Barraclough
Striker is from Operation Paws for Homes and on “Team Ruff.”
(Courtesy Animal Planet/Keith Barraclough)
Courtesy Animal Planet/Keith Barraclough
Stormy is from Big Fluffy Dog Rescue and on “Team Ruff.”
(Courtesy Animal Planet/Keith Barraclough)
Courtesy Animal Planet/Keith Barraclough
Bo is from SPCA in Los Angeles, California and on “Team Ruff.”
(Courtesy Animal Planet/Keith Barraclough)
Courtesy Animal Planet/Keith Barraclough
Another photo of Blitz from Dade County Animal Services in Miami, Florida and on “Team Fluff.”
(Courtesy Animal Planet/Keith Barraclough)
Courtesy Animal Planet/Keith Barraclough
Hope is from Unleashed and on “Team Fluff.”
(Courtesy Animal Planet/Keith Barraclough)
Courtesy Animal Planet/Keith Barraclough
Daphne is from Operation Education Animal Rescue and on “Team Ruff.”
(Courtesy Animal Planet/Keith Barraclough)
Courtesy Animal Planet/Keith Barraclough
Beebop is from Stray Rescue and on “Team Ruff.”
(Courtesy Animal Planet/Keith Barraclough)
Courtesy Animal Planet/Keith Barraclough
Alexander Hamilpup from Florida Little Dog Rescue on “Team Fluff.”
(Courtesy Animal Planet/Keith Barraclough)
Courtesy Animal Planet/Keith Barraclough
Stretch from Stray Rescue for “Team Ruff.”
(Courtesy Animal Planet/Keith Barraclough)
Courtesy Animal Planet/Keith Barraclough
Wesley from Stray Rescue is on “Team Ruff.”
(Courtesy Animal Planet/Keith Barraclough)
Courtesy Animal Planet/Keith Barraclough
Foster from One Tail at a Time on “Team Ruff.”
(Courtesy Animal Planet/Keith Barraclough)
Courtesy Animal Planet/Keith Barraclough
Max is from Morris Animal Refuge and on “Team Fluff.”
(Courtesy Animal Planet/Keith Barraclough)
Courtesy Animal Planet/Keith Barraclough
Buddy Love from Mr. Bone’s and Co. on “Team Fluff.”
(Courtesy Animal Planet/Keith Barraclough)
Courtesy Animal Planet/Keith Barraclough
Another photo of Stretch from Stray Rescue for “Team Ruff.”
(Courtesy Animal Planet/Keith Barraclough)
Courtesy Animal Planet/Keith Barraclough
Daisy Moses from Last Hope k9 on “Team Ruff.”
(Courtesy Animal Planet/Keith Barraclough)
Courtesy Animal Planet/Keith Barraclough
Another photo of Buddy Love from Mr. Bone’s and Co. on “Team Fluff.”
(Courtesy Animal Planet/Keith Barraclough)
Courtesy Animal Planet/Keith Barraclough
Another photo of Daisy Moses from Last Hope k9 on “Team Ruff.”
(Courtesy Animal Planet/Keith Barraclough)
Courtesy Animal Planet/Keith Barraclough
Sully from Humane Society Nashua on “Team Ruff.”
(Courtesy Animal Planet/Keith Barraclough)
Courtesy Animal Planet/Keith Barraclough
Another photo of Alexander Hamilpup from Florida Little Dog Rescue on “Team Fluff.”
(Courtesy Animal Planet/Keith Barraclough)
WASHINGTON — As if Super Bowl festivities weren’t exciting enough, animal lovers have their own action-packed Super Sunday tradition.
Animal Planet hosts its 13th annual “Puppy Bowl,” Sunday, kicking off festivities with a “Kitty Halftime Dress Rehearsal” airing at noon, followed by the Puppy Bowl XIII Pregame at 2 p.m. Find the full schedule on the Animal Planet site.
The actual “Puppy Bowl” begins at 3 p.m., when “Team Ruff and “Team Fluff” take the field. In a showdown for the “Lombarki Trophy,” dozens of puppies will scuffle, scoot and scuttle across a model stadium to wrack up points for the win.
The starting lineup includes 39 puppies, including some with special needs. The pups were recruited from 34 different animal shelters across the United States. Every year, the Puppy Bowl gives a platform for adoptable dogs, claiming the event is “the biggest game in adoption,” in one of its videos.
Generally, the pups are adopted before the Puppy Bowl airs, but Dan Schachner, Puppy Bowl referee, explained in his Reddit Ask Me Anything session, “Literally, it takes MINUTES” for the puppies’ adoption. “As soon as people start watching Puppy Bowl, they can go to AnimalPlanet.com and look up the puppy profile, which will connect you with the shelter or rescue center that has them! And you can be sure that within 5 minutes — you have to act quickly.”
The “Puppy Bowl” has become “a pup culture fabric of the Super Bowl,” since its debut in 2005, said Rick Holzman, general manager of Animal Planet in a 2015 interview with the Los Angeles Times. “It really started to take on a life of its own in 2011. That’s when the game surpassed 9 million viewers.”
Feline fans won’t want to miss this year’s halftime show, when the musical group Chicago Rock Cats with Kitty Gaga will yowl their rendition of “Puparazzi.”
If you’d prefer to watch “cat-letes” in the spotlight, the Hallmark Channel is hosting its fourth annual “Kitten Bowl IV,” airing at noon.
And if you enjoy pets of the silent variety, NatGeoWild channel will start showing “Fish Bowl IV” starting at 1 p.m.
