They came, they saw, they cavorted. And unlike that other bowl that happened on Sunday, the 142 ready-to-be-adopted players of Puppy Bowl XXI made the game a real nail biter for the entire three hours! But in the end it came down to the intrepid work of labrador retriever mix Paws Allen, who led Team Fluff to victory over longtime competitors Team Ruff, with a final score of 68-66. I can only imagine revenge was sweet for Team Fluff, who narrowly missed out on the Lombarky Trophy last year after Team Ruff pulled a cheeky last minute move to run out the clock. Not that dogs are particularly known for their sense of time… or that any of last year’s athletes were back on the field this year… but still!
Game day stats: The Underdog Award went to Mercury, while Foxtrot won the Most Valuable Puppy Award. … This year, the show had 142 rescue dogs from 80 shelters across 40 states and two countries competing on both teams — more than ever before. Eleven special needs dogs also entered the field. Throughout the broadcast, the four-legged players scored touchdowns on a gridiron carpet when they crossed any goal line with a toy in their mouth. The bark of the town is a fun way to raise money and awareness for shelters across America, while showcasing adoptable dogs and other pets.
A wee by any other name: “There’s many different euphemisms we can use like pooch puddle or fertilizing the field, tinkle on the 20, turd and long,” [referee Dan] Schachner explained. “There’s a lot of ways that we can describe it in a funny way. But at the end of the day, we have a game to play. … How we deal with it — because again, we’re trying to show all sides of dogs — is we scoop it up, clean it up as quickly as possible,” continued Schachner. “We have a team that’s almost like a NASCAR pit crew that comes in and just quickly scoops it up. You wouldn’t know it was there after a minute, and we resume play as quickly as possible.”
The Bowl is in NY, but the pups come from all over: “Of course, we have some New York rescues, but you name it. Florida, Texas, Phoenix, California, Midwest. This year we have a pup from Nicaragua because we want to showcase some of the overpopulation issues in Central America,” Schachner exclaimed. “We cast as wide a net as possible, and the beautiful thing is these shelters will bring themselves to Puppy Bowl,” the ref noted. “They have no problem transporting these puppies — which is not easy. But they have no problem doing it because the reality is once this dog is on national TV, it will, of course, get adopted right away. … But, more importantly, the shelter will receive a lot of attention it might not otherwise have. And all the shelters we work with report a huge increase in adoption inquiries after they are featured on Puppy Bowl. So it’s a win-win.”
It really is a win-win, that’s the beauty of the Puppy Bowl! Shelters and pets get valuable exposure that (overwhelmingly) leads to pups finding their forever homes — and all the floofs have to do is spend a few hours ruff-housing with each other over toys galore. It’s brilliant! But this game was more than just fun, it was history-making: with 15 seconds to go before the Kitty Halftime Show started, Team Fluff player Charlotte, a cocker spaniel, scored a touchdown AND a field goal at the same time. I mean, if that’s not sportsmanship I don’t know what is!! Spiritually I have to say I’m totally aligned with MVP Mercury, the great pyrenees–maremma sheepdog mix who just wanted to lie down, for pete’s sake. But honorable mention must go to cairn terrier Demure, for playing a very mindful game.
PS — I cannot walk away without acknowledging this comment from Ref Dan: “Of course, we have some New York rescues, but you name it. Florida, Texas, Phoenix, California, Midwest.” First of all, to any kids out there: these are not all states! And second, did this remind anyone else of John Cazale in Dog Day Afternoon, when Al Pacino asks what country John would like to run off to, and Cazale says, “Wyoming.” ?
Mercury, the chillest dog on the field, is presented the coveted Underdog Award! #PuppyBowl pic.twitter.com/CdNyGyJBlp
— Animal Planet (@AnimalPlanet) February 9, 2025
Photos via Instagram/Animal Planet and Dan Schachner