2 Tampa Bay Rescue Pups To Compete In Sunday's Puppy Bowl

PALM HARBOR, FL — The Super Bowl isn't the only game in town Sunday. Two Tampa Bay pups are competing in Animal Planet's 2020 Puppy Bowl, with contestants from pet shelters and pet rescue groups around the country.

The 16th annual Puppy Bowl featuring puppies doing more fumbling than scoring will be televised starting at 3 p.m. Feb. 2. on Animal‌ ‌Planet‌‌ and streamed live on fuboTV, Hulu with Live TV and AT&T TV Now. Pre-bowl‌ ‌coverage‌ ‌begins‌ ‌an‌ ‌hour‌ ‌earlier.‌ ‌During past events, all the puppies and kittens featured in the two-hour program have been adopted.

Locally, residents are invited to the Bar Fly, 1026 Nebraska Ave., Palm Harbor, for a Puppy Bowl Watch Party where puppy lovers will be cheering on Team Fluff of the Suncoast Animal League and Team Ruff of Planned Pethood Pasco are competing with adoptable pups Gigi and Salisbury.

Team Ruff's designated pup, Gigi, is a 15-week-old chihuahua, miniature Pinscher and Yorkshire terrier mix.

Competing for Team Fluff, Salisbury is a 20-week-old a Dalmatian, American Staffordshire terrier, miniature Pinscher, Staffordshire Bull terrier mix.

The family- and dog-friendly paw-ty at Bar Fly will feature a bit of gaming, raffles, a special doggie menu, drink specials and adoptable pups. Click here before the Puppy Bowl to place your bet. All donations will go to the animal shelters.

Millions‌ ‌of‌ ‌Americans‌ ‌have‌ ‌made‌ ‌Animal‌ ‌Planet’s‌ ‌Puppy‌ ‌Bowl‌ ‌as‌ ‌important‌ ‌to‌ ‌Super‌ ‌Bowl‌ ‌Sunday‌ ‌as‌ ‌the‌ ‌appetizer‌ ‌menu.‌

The‌ ‌Puppy‌ ‌Bowl’s‌ ‌start‌ ‌was‌ ‌“incredibly‌ ‌low-budget,”‌ ‌Erin‌ ‌Wanner,‌ ‌a‌ ‌senior‌ ‌production‌ ‌executive‌ ‌for‌ ‌Animal‌ ‌Planet,‌ ‌told‌ ‌Patch.‌ ‌“We‌ ‌put‌ ‌down‌ ‌some‌ ‌turf‌ ‌on‌ ‌the‌ ‌office‌ ‌floor‌ ‌and‌ ‌let‌ ‌some‌ ‌puppies‌ ‌go‌ ‌crazy.‌ ‌We‌ ‌spent‌ ‌three‌ ‌bucks‌ ‌on‌ ‌it.‌ ‌ ‌

“Now,”‌ ‌she‌ ‌said,‌ ‌“it’s‌ ‌a‌ ‌pop‌ ‌culture‌ ‌phenomenon‌. There’s‌ ‌nothing‌ ‌better‌ ‌than‌ ‌puppies.”‌ ‌

Planned Pethood Pasco at 37815 State Road 54, Zephyrhills, has taken part in the Puppy Bowl since 2014.

"It all started when Animal Planet reached out to us in 2013," said director Cindy Lawson Evers. "They extended the invitation to travel to New York City with an adoptable puppy and participate in the Puppy Bowl. Betty was dropped off at the clinic shortly afterward, and we were off."

Today, Betty is a healthy, happy 4-year-old girl who lives with Evers in San Antonio.

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.‌ ‌

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.‌ ‌

During the Puppy Bowl, viewers will ‌see‌ ‌goat‌ ‌cheerleaders,‌ ‌a‌ ‌hamster‌ ‌Surge‌ ‌that‌ ‌will‌ ‌power‌ ‌the‌ ‌
scoreboard‌ ‌and‌ ‌the‌ ‌signature‌ ‌Kitty‌ ‌Halftime‌ ‌Show.‌ ‌

“Pup‌ ‌Close‌ ‌and‌ ‌Personal”‌ ‌segments‌ ‌will‌ ‌be‌ ‌shown‌ ‌throughout‌ ‌the‌ ‌broadcast featuring 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.‌ ‌

‌Though‌ ‌the‌ ‌Puppy‌ ‌Bowl‌ ‌contestants‌ ‌are‌ ‌usually‌ ‌adopted‌ ‌before‌ ‌the‌ ‌end‌ ‌of‌ ‌the‌ ‌Puppy‌ ‌Bowl‌ ‌—‌ ‌Animal‌ ‌Planet’s‌ ‌most‌ ‌widely‌ ‌viewed‌ ‌program‌ ‌—‌ ‌it‌ ‌exposes‌ ‌the‌ ‌television‌ ‌audience‌ ‌to‌ ‌the‌ ‌pets‌ ‌available‌ ‌for‌ ‌adoption‌ ‌at‌ ‌shelters‌ ‌in‌ ‌their‌ ‌hometowns.‌ ‌

“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.”‌‌

Wanner‌ ‌expects‌ ‌the‌ ‌Puppy‌ ‌Bowl‌ ‌to‌ ‌grow‌ ‌annually,‌ ‌both‌ ‌in‌ ‌the‌ ‌number‌ ‌of‌ ‌dogs‌ ‌recruited‌ ‌and‌ ‌the‌ ‌shelters‌ ‌represented.‌ ‌ ‌

‌“It’s‌ ‌been‌ ‌16‌ ‌years,‌ ‌and‌ ‌I‌ ‌still‌ ‌feel‌ ‌like‌ ‌we’re‌ ‌pressing‌ ‌upward‌ ‌and‌ ‌haven’t‌ ‌begun‌ ‌to‌ ‌see‌ ‌how‌ ‌far‌ ‌we‌ ‌can‌ ‌reach‌ ‌with‌ ‌the‌ ‌Puppy‌ ‌Bowl,”‌ ‌she‌ ‌said.‌ ‌“It’s‌ ‌part‌ ‌of‌ ‌the‌ ‌pop‌ ‌culture‌ ‌fabric‌ ‌of‌ ‌Super‌ ‌Bowl‌ ‌Sunday.”‌ ‌

‌If‌ ‌you‌ ‌want‌ ‌to‌ ‌get‌ ‌your‌ ‌Puppy‌ ‌Bowl‌ ‌feels‌ ‌going‌ ‌before‌ ‌the‌ ‌air‌ ‌date,‌ ‌watch‌ ‌for‌ ‌puppy‌ ‌warm-up‌ ‌videos‌ ‌on‌ ‌‌Animal‌ ‌Planet’s‌ ‌YouTube‌‌ ‌channel.‌ ‌
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