- Puppy Bowl XXI will feature 142 rescue puppies from 80 shelters across 40 states and two countries.
- Team Fluff and Team Ruff will compete for the Walmart “Lombarky” trophy.
- Viewers can vote for their favorite pup to win the “Pupularity Playoffs” by visiting PuppyBowl.com.
Woof woof! Puppy Bowl is almost back.
The event, which Warner Bros. describes as the “cutest competition of the year” is returning soon for its 21st edition, and will feature 142 rescue puppies from 80 shelters across 40 states and two countries.
The annual three-hour event is the “longest running call-to-adoption television event,” according to Warner Bros.
“With more puppies than ever before, Puppy Bowl XXI will highlight their inspiring journeys from birth to adoption, as well as the tremendous dedication of the rescues and shelters that help find animals their forever homes,” Warner Bros. said in a news release.
Meet this year’s K-9 lineup and find out how to watch.
When is the Puppy Bowl?
The Puppy Bowl is scheduled to air on Sunday, Feb. 9 at 11 a.m. PT / 2 p.m. ET, and will be simulcast across Animal Planet, Discovery, Discovery+, TBS, truTV, and Max.
Puppy Bowl teams
Team Fluff will face off against Team Ruff to take home the Walmart “Lombarky” trophy and the MVP (Most Valuable Puppy) title. Among the contestants on Team Fluff is Smoosh, the only Pekingese to compete in the games. Team Ruff has Tuani, a chihuahua-German shepherd from Nicaragua.
Longtime Puppy Bowl referee Dan Schachner will return this year, while sportscasters Steve Levy and Taylor Rooks will provide paw-by-paw commentary.
Prior to big game, a new segment, “Puppy Bowl XXI Kickoff,” will air at 10 a.m. PT / 1 p.m. ET on Animal Planet. The segment will include 10 puppy prospects from across the country who will “engage in practice drills and show off their moves in the first ever Puppy Combine,” Warner Bros. said, adding that each pup will “compete to be selected as the top pick in the Puppy Bowl Draft and join the Team Ruff and Team Fluff rosters.”
The event will also feature 11 “inspiring special needs dogs” who “will take the field, giving it their all and not letting their disabilities slow them down.”
Pups to look out for
- Jolene, an American pit bull terrier-mix competing in a wheelchair. She will be among the 11 special needs dogs taking the field.
- Julep, the first-ever St. Bernard-mix.
- Sprinkle, a blind and hearing-impaired Australian shepherd-mix.
- Parsnip, a rescue pit bull-mix trained at the Humane Society of Greater Kansas City by Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle Derrick Nnadi and his girlfriend, Nani.
- Ladybug, a 10-year-old chihuahua mix, from Pet Helpers in Charleston, South Carolina, looking for her forever home.
- Mr. Pickles, a pug-chihuahua from Dallas.
- Tuani, a chihuahua-German shepherd from SOS Animales Nicaragua. He was born at the shelter after his pregnant mother was rescued from the streets of San Juan del Sur.
Puppy adoption
This year’s Puppy Bowl will also bring back adoptables segments “featuring puppies – and a few kittens – that will be available for adoption during the game,” Warner Bros. said.
Puppy Bowl XXI Promo
Vote for your favorite pup
Audiences can vote for their favorite pup to win the “Pupularity Playoffs” by visiting PuppyBowl.com.
Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at sshafiq@gannett.com and follow her on X and Instagram @saman_shafiq7.
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