Though Chicago sports fans may not be looking forward to watching their team compete in this year's Super Bowl, there will still be plenty to cheer for Sunday in the Windy City.
The 20th annual “Puppy Bowl” will be Sunday afternoon, and will feature three local Chicago pups in the ruffest game of the year.
While the Puppy Bowl is prized by many, particularly non-sports fans, as an opportunity to watch adorable, clumsy pups bounce around the field and wag their tails furiously, it also encourages animal adoption and highlights rescue efforts across the U.S.
According to officials, 131 adoptable puppies will be featured in this year's Puppy Bowl, coming from 73 shelters across 36 states.
Three dogs from two Chicago dog rescues will participate. Goose -- also known as Guy Fureri -- and Arthur, hail from One Tail at a Time in Bucktown. Rose Fay, a "snuggle bug" from the Anti-Cruelty Society, was also chosen to play.
Arthur will compete on Team Fluff, a release said, while Goose and Rose Fay play for Team Ruff.
"The game kicks off when the Pedigree Starting Lineup players take to the field," a press release said. "Dash, a Pomeranian/pug, and Maggie, a chow chow/American Staffordshire terrier representing the U.S. Virgin Islands for the first time, will compete for Team Fluff while Tater, an Australian cattle dog/German shepherd, and Peanut Pretzel, a pug from Los Angeles, will look to bring Team Ruff to victory."
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One pup will be named MVP -- most valuable puppy -- and another will be crowed with a "Subaru of America Underdog Award," the release added.
This year, there are some changes to the canine football telecast: Four previous puppy players return to be inducted in the new Puppy Bowl Hall of Fame and the show, which has grown to include armadillos, hedgehogs and chickens, will focus on dogs.
“What we’ve done this year to flip the whole script is because it’s sort of a celebration of the fact that it’s the 20th year,” says “Puppy Bowl” referee Dan Schachner. “We’ve decided to go all in on puppy, making it the “most puppiest ‘Puppy Bowl’ ever.”
How to Watch the Puppy Bowl
The inaugural “Puppy Bowl” was watched by nearly 6 million viewers. Last year, 13.2 million viewers tuned in, the largest reach for the event in five years. In comparison, The Emmy Awards telecast on Fox this year reached just 4.3 million viewers. This year’s show will be simulcast across Animal Planet, Discovery, TBS, truTV, Max and Discovery.
The dogs are split into two teams — Team Fluff and Team Ruff — and each dog is given a nickname — like “Slick Rick” or “J-Paw” — and a specialty, like “Epic end zone dance.”
They are free to frolic, but may face penalties for things like “neutral bone infraction” and “paws interference.” Awards are given to Most Valuable Puppy and, new this year, an Underdog Award for the more introverted pup.
This year’s broadcast is built on the work of dozens of volunteers, as well as 600 pee pads, 200 poop bags, 10 bags of treats, 30 water bowls and 18 cameras. The cat halftime show will also return.
That number has by now more than doubled, with this year’s broadcast featuring 131 puppies.
“They are playful, they are curious, they’re going to get into trouble, they’re going to do crazy things," Schachner said. "And from time to time, they’re going to score touchdowns and really impress you.”
The three-hour long event takes place at 1 p.m. CST and can be seen on Animal Planet, Discovery, TBS, truTV, Max and discovery+.
History of the Puppy Bowl
The “Puppy Bowl” made its debut as counter-programming to the Super Bowl in 2005. Dogs score touchdowns on a gridiron carpet when they cross the goal line — any goal line — with a toy.
“We always say the same message every year: Adopt, don’t shop,” says Schachner. “There are responsible breeders out there, but it kind of defies logic that somebody who’s searching for a dog would look beyond their local shelter or rescue.”
According to the ASPCA, approximately 390,000 shelter dogs are euthanized each year and 2 million shelter dogs are adopted. Schachner says the number of animals languishing in shelters is back up after falling during the pandemic. “It’s worse than ever,” he says.
Most of the puppies are usually adopted by airtime, since the show is filmed in the fall. But the point is to show that animals just like the ones on the show can be found at any shelter at any time.
Schachner also has some advice for anyone who falls for a particular pup on the broadcast: “That animal is probably likely part of a litter, right? So there’s probably siblings out there that are still up for adoption or their parents — their mom, their dad — is in the shelter looking for a forever home.”
Schachner started refereeing 13 years ago, when there were 59 dogs invited. “I’ll never forget that because I thought that was a tremendous amount of dogs to be trying to officiate in one place.”
