Colorado Dogs Featured On Animal Planet

Millions of Americans have made Animal Planet’s Puppy Bowl as important to Super Bowl Sunday as the appetizer menu. Here in Colorado, we have added reason to watch this weekend's Puppy Bowl XVI beyond the obvious lure of two hours of adorable dog antics — two dogs from our state will be featured in the event.

A puppy from Rocky Mountain Puppy Rescue, in Berthoud, will be featured in the chewable challenge. Now in its 16th year, the Puppy Bowl features adoptable pets from rescue shelters across the United States and other parts of the world.

Aspen, a 22-month-old Australian Cattle Dog - Cocker Spaniel mix, will be on Team Ruff. Rocky Mountain Puppy Rescue sent Aspen to represent not only Colorado, but the pup's many buddies who are up for adoption.

Dog Bowl III, airing on Saturday, Feb. 1, will feature a senior dog from Colorado — Rommy, a 5-year-old labradoodle from Englewood. The organization Freedom Service Dogs of America sent Rommy to represent the nonprofit, which provides service dogs to those in need.

After the phenomenal success of its Super Bowl Sunday sports competition for energetic, boisterous pups, Animal Planet program executives wondered if they could replicate the “Puppy Bowl effect” with a similar event for older dogs.

“We didn’t know the first year if it would work as well as the Puppy Bowl,” Erin Wanner, a senior production executive for Animal Planet, told Patch. “But it’s so important. Older dogs have a harder time getting adopted. This has worked well for us as well.”

Both Dog Bowl III and Puppy Bowl XVI increase awareness of shelters such as Freedom Service Dogs that rescue pets from often-desperate situations and find permanent homes for them.

Dog Bowl contestants are often adopted before the end of the program, but participating shelters report an uptick in adoption inquiries, Wanner said.

“There are millions of dogs and all kinds of animals — cats and kittens, armadillos, goats — across the country,” Animal Planet spokesman Paul Schur told Patch. “This is about making a choice about making a furry friend a part of your family, and thinking about shelters first.”

Animal Planet expects to find homes for a record 96 pooches from 61 shelters that have been divided in two swoon-worthy teams that will play, catch kisses on the Pedigree Kissing Cam and just plain charm you as they compete for the Chewy “Lombarky” trophy in Puppy Bowl XVI.

The Puppy Bowl XVI competition begins at 1 p.m., before the Super Bowl. Families adopting puppies get a starter kit from Chewy, an online pet supply business. The kit includes toys, food, treats, a bed, and grooming and cleaning supplies. Pre-bowl coverage begins an hour earlier.

Animal Planet’s Super Bowl Sunday pet adoption efforts have attracted celebrities who have adopted pets from shelters, including award-winning singer Emmylou Harris, actress and comedian Whitney Cummings, HGTV “Property Brothers” hosts Jonathan and Drew Scott, and animal-welfare advocate Jim Rappaport.