LEXINGTON, Ky. (WKYT) – More than 120 million people are expected to tune into the biggest sporting event of the year tonight.
But every year millions of viewers participate in another tradition: The Puppy Bowl.
This year, two Kentucky pups were drafted for the big game.
The Puppy Bowl also supports the efforts of shelters across the U.S. including right here in the Commonwealth.
“We’re hopeful that a lot of people [will] come knocking on our doors and saying, ‘I’m ready to bring an animal home,’” Andrea Mattingly, PR and Marketing Director for the Kentucky Humane Society says.
The Kentucky Humane Society Team Fluff puppy is Julep.
She’s the first Saint Bernard mix to be featured in the Puppy Bowl.
On the opposing Team Ruff is Colonel the Beagle. This year, his team won.
Leaders with the Kentucky Humane Society say that while Julep and Colonel have now found their forever homes, that’s not the case for thousands of other pups.
“We’re really, really calling on the community to adopt these animals and help us take care of them,” Mattingly says.
Mattingly says many shelters, including theirs, have seen overcrowding across the state and the nation.
“We’ll continue doing everything we can for animals in Kentucky and the Louisville community and beyond every year, but it’s extra special to have some of them featured nationwide [Sunday],” Mattingly says.
Here in Lexington, folks gathered at Ethereal Brewing in the Distillery District to watch the dogs compete.
Sara Schmitt and her husband brought their furry friend along for the festivities.
The Schmitts adopted 2-year-old rescue Seven from the Lexington Humane Society.
“We definitely promote and support all of the adoption programs and humane societies over breeders, so there’s so many dogs that need good homes, and cats also,” Schmitt says
Because the Puppy Bowl airs before the Super Bowl, Schmitt says she’s watching both.
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