On Feb. 11, 2024, the 20th annual Puppy Bowl commenced and tons of eager puppies ran out onto the field with the hope that they would be able to hoist the fabled “Lombarky Trophy.” Although this sounds like it comes straight out of an incredible dream, the Puppy Bowl is an actual event that takes place only a few hours before its lesser known counterpart: the NFL’s “Super Bowl.”
For those who are not aware, the Puppy Bowl showcases a variety of puppies from shelters across the United States, assigning them to one of two teams: Team Ruff or Team Fluff. The puppies take turns going out onto the puppy-sized football field, which is positively littered with toys, and whichever team can get the most toys into their endzone wins! The game is almost completely run by puppies, even going as far as having puppies in the sound and broadcasting booths!
The purpose of the event is to bring awareness to the increasing number of puppies in shelters and encourage people to go and adopt them, as every puppy in the Puppy Bowl is available for adoption. The Puppy Bowl serves as a reminder to help puppies who have been lost or abandoned by adopting them and by preventing support of cruel pet-breeding facilities, educating fans with the slogan, “Adopt, don’t shop.”
This year’s Puppy Bowl saw more pups than ever before, with 131 puppies from over 70 shelters and rescues. The game was intense, with an extremely high level of play and physicality between the players, as we often saw puppies piled on top of each other, desperately scrambling for the toy buried beneath. Human referee, Dan Schachner, often had to call penalties for “Unnecessary Ruffness” or “Trash Barking” simply due to the level of competitiveness between the teams. Schachner was accompanied by his “rufferee-in-training,” a small pup named Whistle, who assisted in keeping order on the field.
After hours of intense competition, Team Ruff successfully edged out Team Fluff with a 72-69 victory, thanks to a last minute score by Australian Cattle Dog Tater, in which he was able to run down the field into the endzone, ending Team Fluff’s two year win streak and achieving the fourth Puppy Bowl victory for Team Ruff. Other notable players in the game were Mr. Bean for Team Ruff, a two-legged tank who could take the toys down field without ever being taken down, as well as Patrick Mabones for Team Fluff, an expert game manager who kept the rest of his team in line and in the competition. Additionally, one of the most exciting moments of the night was the arrival of two star-studded audience members, Travis Klawce and Taylor Sniffed, who’s appearance in the crowd was enough to make the fans and players alike jump for joy.
Puppy Bowl XX was a great success, and it saw the showcasing of many puppies in search of forever homes. One of my favorite moments was the intermittent pauses to highlight a specific puppy and their contributions to the Puppy Bowl, while also describing their lovable traits in the hopes that they will be adopted. The Puppy Bowl is the perfect excuse to simply spend hours watching adorable puppies running around together and appreciate some truly pure happiness. So be sure to tune in to next year’s 21st annual Puppy Bowl, and maybe even consider adopting a puppy along the way!
