Are you excited about the Super Bowl LIX? While waiting for the action to happen on your screens, watch the Puppy Bowl XXI as a pre-game before the festivities between the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs begin. If you’re up to watching these pups in action, read along as we guide you toward Puppy Bowl.
Sunday is a time meant to relax together with your family, but since it’s the Super Bowl season, we’re all locked in our screens to see who brings home the bacon. While waiting for the actual game, you might want to add Puppy Bowl XXI to your watch party activities, as it will also take place on February 9, 2025. The kickoff will start at 2 p.m. ET / 11 a.m. PT. The pre-game show begins at 1 p.m. ET.
You can catch the Puppy Bowl on air at Animal Planet, Discovery, Discovery+, MAX, TBS, and truTV.
What To Expect at The Puppy Bowl XXI
Rolling over (literally 🤣), the game center is two teams, which are Team Fluff and Team Ruff. 11 participating dogs have special needs, such as Jolene, an American Pitbull terrier mix in a wheelchair, and Sprinkle, who is a blind and hearing-impaired Australian shepherd mix.
The 21st-anniversary show will also get to have their own “Pupularity Playoffs,” where fans and audiences vote in a bracket-style playoff for the dog that they find “Most Pupular,” which will be announced on February 9, 2025.
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Meet The PAWlayers
Team Fluff
- Abigail: Labrador Retriever mix from Operation Paws for Homes in Alexandria, Va.
- Alice: Chihuahua mix from Florida Little Dog Rescue in Saint Cloud, Fla.
- Carl: Bulldog mix from Louie’s Legacy Animal Rescue in New York.
- Charlotte: American Cocker Spaniel from the Humane Society of Missouri in St. Louis.
- Kiki: Chihuahua mix from Florida Little Dog Rescue in Saint Cloud, Fla.
- Paws Allen: Labrador Retriever from Buddy’s Second Chance Rescue in Buffalo.
- Smoosh: Pekingese from Florida Little Dog Rescue in Saint Cloud, Fla.
- Whoopie: Great Pyrenees mix from Wags & Walks in Nashville.
Team Ruff
- Beethoven: Great Pyrenees mix from Best Friends Animal Society in New York.
- Dee-Bone Samuel: Poodle mix from Sacramento SPCA in Sacramento.
- Demure: Cairn Terrier from Green Dogs Unleashed in Troy, Va.
- Enrique: Miniature Pinscher mix from The Sato Project in New York.
- Foxtrot: Collie mix from Pet Haven in Minneapolis.
- Maxx: Doberman Pinscher from Nevada SPCA in Las Vegas.
- Mr. Pickles: Pug mix from Dallas Dog in Dallas.
- Trio: Boston Terrier from Louie’s Legacy Animal Rescue in New York.
Aside from these PAWlayers, the Puppy Bowl 2025 will feature two Kentucky Humane Society puppies named Colonel and Julep.
Last year, during the Puppy Bowl XX, Team Ruff scratched their way to a 72-69 victory over Team Fluff. Moosh, an Australian Shepherd mix for Team Ruff, was awarded the Most Valuable Pup.
Puppy Bowl 2025 Dogs For Adoption
Looking for a dog to adopt? It’s a good thing that these dogs are up for adoption. However, many are already adopted before the show even starts. Even those at the Puppy Bowl crew grab a few of them occasionally. In fact, Dan Schachner, one-time NFL referee, and current 14-year Puppy Bowl judge, said that they’re transparent about the adoption of dogs that they join in Puppy Bowl. Besides, the goal of the games is to get them adopted by viewers who fall for their charm.
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From The Club
I’m in love with the idea of Puppy Bowl as a dog version of the popular Super Bowl. Why have I never learned about this until now? Aside from seeing their cuteness on TV, I appreciate the fact that the game comes with the goal of getting these pups home to loving owners. As someone who has a soft spot for shelter dogs, this game touches my heart.