Animal lovers rejoice, because it’s time for the Puppy
Bowl! Featuring over a hundred puppies cavorting, running and wrestling on
a pup-sized football field, the Puppy Bowl is, by far, the cutest sporting event
of the year!
This year for Puppy Bowl XX airing February 11th, Team
Fluff takes on Team Ruff in a bid to keep their Championship title! The pups will
attempt to score touchdowns by taking one of the many toys on the field across either
endzone, but there are a lot of distractions! From built-in water bowls for a drink
or a bath, to tons of fun chew toys and plenty of furbulous pups to play with, these
pooches will need to work hard to help their team win the coveted “Lombarky” Trophy.
And one lucky pup will even be crowned the MVP (Most Valuable Puppy)!
These
top
puppy athletes aren’t just playing for bragging rights, though, as each one
is on a quest to find their fur-ever homes!

When Animal Planet set out to find something to air during
Super Bowl Sunday, they weren’t just concerned about ratings. They also wanted
to spread the word about how furbulous rescue animals are, and so the Puppy
Bowl was born!
Puppies are drafted from rescues and shelters across the
country to compete in the fluffiest game of football you’ve ever seen! But only
a percentage of the hundreds of entries will catch the producers’ eyes by
showing their star quality. And for these pups, life is about to change!
Whether abandoned, surrendered, left behind or simply born
on the street, each rescue pooch featured in the Puppy Bowl goes from homeless to
TV star overnight! Being famous comes with a lot of advantages- but these pups
don’t do it for the fame. They are looking for their fur-ever family, and being
able to strut their stuff in front of millions of viewers gives them the best
chance to find them!
To be sure each pup fulfills their Cinderella destiny,
Animal Planet teams up with each participating shelter and rescue to make sure
these athletes are adopted. There’s been a lot of pawmazing rags to riches
stories that have come out of the Puppy Bowl! Here are some of our furvorites!
Left behind in an abandoned house with his litter mates, the
future looked dim for this tiny
Chihuahua
mix from Florida. Luckily for him, the Florida Little Dog Rescue stepped in to
look after the pups, and Bubba’s road to stardom began.
Not only did this little 16-week-old furball catch the eyes
of the Animal Planet scouts with his gorgeous, eye-catching coat, but he also
had the energy of a champion. He was promptly drafted into Team Ruff for Puppy
Bowl XI, and was even chosen to be in the starting line-up! Things were looking
up for this homeless pooch.
Bubba brought it all to the field, scoring two touchdowns
for his team and getting right in the middle of all the action. But the real
prize was yet to come.
Michelle Maskaly had volunteered to help out at the Puppy
Bowl during filming and wasn’t looking for a new furry pal. She had just
started a new job, and was planning several trips, but when she saw Bubba, it
was love at first sight. This spritely Chi helped Team Ruff win the game, but
he also scored his fur-ever home when he won Michelle’s heart.
Today, Bubba goes by the name Maddox, and is giving back to
his community as a certified
therapy
dog. Michelle says he’s grown into a clever, calm and dignified dog, and spreads
his unending love throughout the hospitals and nursing homes he visits.
You can check out updates on Bubba on his mom’s
Instagram page!
Olympia – Puppy Bowl 2018
Olympia and her sister were dumped in a plastic bin outside
a gas station in the Ozarks. These pawdorable
Great Pyrenees pups were cute
enough to attract the eye of a compassionate Missourian who rescued them. Soon,
the pups were safe with the folks at Big Fluffy Dog Rescue, but sadly, there
would be tragedy before too long.
While they were being cared for, Olympia’s sister passed
away, leaving Olympia homeless and without any family. Luckily, this big fluffy
pup was a survivor! She landed a foster home, then another, but kept up hope
the fur-ever home she dreamed of was out there somewhere. Then, she got her big
break!
When the Puppy Bowl XIV came calling, she was a paw-in with
her athletic build and determination. Drafted
to Team Fluff, this big pup was expected to help lead her team to victory as
part of the starting line-up. At just 19-weeks-old, she was a tough contender,
though she often took time out for some snuggles and to show off her tricks. Ultimately,
Team Fluff took the trophy, but who would take Olympia? Would she find a family
to love?
With looks this pawdorable, of course she did! Olympia now
lives with her pawrific fur-ever family on Deer Island in Maine. When she’s not
hoarding toys, she’s playing with other pups or cuddling with her family. And
it seems that Olympia’s time as a top athlete left her wanting for more! Last
we heard, she was training for agility competitions. We’re rooting for you,
Olympia!
Chunky Monkey – Puppy Bowl 2021
Chunky Monkey and her homeless siblings, all named after Ben
and Jerry ice cream flavors, were down on their luck when Green Dogs Unleashed
came to the rescue! A pawdorable
Chow Chow mix, this pup was the largest of her
litter and was soon drafted into the Puppy Bowl. Being quite fluffy, Chunky Monkey
had a lot of built-in padding which was pawfect for game-winning tackles.
At just 15-weeks, the expectations were high for this young
bruiser. Chunky Monkey found herself on the starting line-up of Team Fluff, and
for many, she was a top contender for MVP. But would the exposure lead her to a
loving family?
As she came out onto the field, fans waited in anticipation
to see this fluffball dominate. But Chunky Monkey surprised them all! Instead
of earning fame and glory with record breaking touchdowns, tackles and blocks,
this pup became famous for a nap. That’s right, Chunky Monkey earned a foul for
her team for “excessive slumber”, and instantly became an internet sensation.
Fans of the large pup took to Twitter to voice their love
and support during the game, which gave her even more exposure! Would someone
love her enough to give her the fur-ever home she dreamed of?
When the game ended with a win for Team Ruff and another pup
crowned MVP, Chunky Monkey didn’t let that stop her. She won her own title of MVN
- Most Valuable Napper, but even better, she scored a pawfect ending.
With her freckled nose and tongue, and gorgeous gray eyes,
Chunky Monkey was adopted by Cassandra Asekhauno who tweeted her photo as they
watched the game, and as she took another sideline nap. Today, Chunky Monkey,
now called Ellie, lives the good life in Virginia with her loving family.
You can keep up with Ellie/Chunky Monkey on her
Instagram account!
It’s all about the rescues!
The Puppy Bowl is about more than just cute wrestling
matches and touchdowns. Each pup that plays in the game has been rescued by the
kindness and support of tons of volunteers, organizers, foster parents, pilots,
drivers, and many others who lend their time, money and skills to make sure
these little canines come out on top. That means that each pup in the Puppy
Bowl is an ambassador for rescues everywhere, and prove that no matter what
breed or color they are, or what circumstance they come from, they are full of
love and ready to find their best human friend.
And it’s not just the pups. All the kittens in the half-time
show, the sideline cheerleaders that have included ducks, chickens, piglets, and
even hedgehogs, the hamster scorekeepers and more are all adoptable too!
If you are looking to adopt an animal from the Puppy Bowl,
or their sibling, cousin or friends, check out these furrific rescue organizations:
So, sit back, get out the
dog beer and
pup treats, and get ready
to watch the
2024 Puppy Bowl on Sunday, February 11
th at 2 PM ET on
Animal Planet and Discovery+ with your best
animal MVPs!