The crowd was roaring. The teams were anxious. It was the battle of the top dogs. Literally. Before Tom Brady and the Patriots defeated the Rams 13-3 in Superbowl LIII, the Puppy Bowl XV was live in action. In this intense matchup, Team Ruff faced Team Fluff in a tough battle from the “Lombarky” trophy.
In the game on Sunday, Team Ruff was the first to put points on the board and set the pace for the rest of the game. For the purrfect Kitty Halftime Show, Purr-oon 5 played which is a band that features porcupines, capybaras, a sloth and a baby kangaroo. The group rallied up the two teams and stirred up the crowd. The game’s score went back and forth between Team Ruff and Team Fluff, but in the end Team Ruff defeated Team Fluff with a 59-51, making the Puppy Bowl the highest scoring football game of the night.
In this two-hour show, the stars of the game frequently rotated. Clara, an adoptable dog from the Florida Little Dog Rescue, was the early favorite wooing the crowd with her electric personality. At the end of the matchup, Moses successfully distracted the other team in his attempt to run down the clock. However, in the end, the Puppy Bowl MVP went to Team Fluff’s sight and hearing impaired Bumble, this Lab/Chow mix became the first special needs dog to take home the MVP honors from the Puppy Bowl. Every year the Puppy Bowl not only entertains millions of Americans, but it also sends an inspiring message.
The Puppy Bowl was created to combine America’s two loves: football and puppies. Every year on Superbowl Sunday, Animal Planet presents this fun matchup great for the whole family with the intent of promoting safe and interactive pet adoption on the local and national level. The animals represented in this friendly match-up are from shelters across the United States, Puerto Rico and Costa Rica. There are 93 puppies, 36 with special needs, looking to find a new home after a “ruff” day on the turf. Animal Planet has developed a way to attract the attention of loving pet families nationwide. Since the start of the game, Animal Planet has held a 100% adoption rate of the overall 500 past participants.
The adoption spotlights of the night went to Bee, Bella and Bugsby. These pups were saved by The Sato Project which rescued and rehabilitated puppies affected in last years nature disaster on the island. This year, these pups participated in hopes to find their new home.
Though the game was on Sunday, Feb. 3, there may be puppies from the field still looking for a home! Are you or someone you know looking to add a furry member to the family? Three of the dogs in this year’s matchup are from the state of Florida! To adopt the dogs featured in the game, contact the shelters for more info!