Entertainment
America's favorite annual sporting event is back! Puppy Bowl XV premieres Sunday, Feb. 3, at 3 p.m. ET., where you can see a slew of young pooches duke it out for the coveted Lombarky Trophy. This year, 36 pups comprise the starting lineup — divided into teams Ruff and Fluff. And the dogs in this year's Puppy Bowl are so cute, they have to be seen to be believed.
The scrimmage is once again facilitated by Puppy Bowl fixture Dan Schachner, who's refereed for the past eight years, according to an interview he did with Deadspin. What's more, Schachner told The Today Show that this year, he has a sloth assistant, Shirley, who will help him "with slo-mo replays," but it seems like she's mainly preoccupied with hanging upside down on her special jungle gym. The referee also teased that this year, viewers will get to see the Bowl's first ever "Neutral Bone Infraction Foul" and "Invasive Sniffing."
As for the dogs themselves, the show features 93 puppies from 51 shelters, according to an Animal Planet press release. However, these little guys aren't the only critters up for adoption — there's also the Dog Bowl, which features 63 older pooches and airs Saturday, Feb. 2 at 8 p.m. ET, per the press release. Then there's the Kitten Bowl, which airs on the Hallmark Channel on Sunday, Feb. 3 at 2 p.m. ET. So even if puppies aren't your thing, there will be plenty of other adoptable critters to choose from.
That said, there's nothing quite as entertaining as watching little (or huge, in Will and Gallagher's cases) puppies run around, cluelessly licking cameras and getting distracted by their own tails. Here are the 36 pups in this year's starting lineup, divided into Teams Fluff and Ruff.
Team Fluff: Astro
This big guy is a Labrador Retriever-Siberian Husky mix with a seriously expressive tongue. He hails from Ohio's Animal Friends Humane Society and has a "tele-paw-thic" gift, per his Animal Planet bio. We'll see if his supernatural sight helps him out on the field, or if he gets distracted by his sixth sense.
Team Fluff: Clara
This little sweetie is a baby corgi from the Florida Little Dog Rescue. And it's clear she's a fan of the Royal Family, since her celebrity crush is "Meghan Barkle," according to her Animal Planet bio. At just 13 weeks, Clara is a puppy fit for a queen.
Team Fluff: Ace
Ace is a Chihuahua-Cocker Spaniel mix who claims to have invented "collar ID," according to Animal Planet. This cutie is a 19-week-old from the Virginia Beach SPCA.
Team Fluff: Brady
A Russell Terrier-Chihuahua mix, Brady is a 17-week-old pup from Connecticut's Dog Star Rescue. And it seems like he's got a lot to say — Brady's a 2019 Howl of Fame Inductee, according to his bio.
Team Fluff: Brooklyn
Brooklyn's clearly a Mean Girls fan, since the pup's "still trying to make 'fetch' happen," according to Animal Planet. This Neapolitan Mastiff-American Staffordshire Terrier mix is from Iowa's AHeinz57 Pet Rescue & Transport.
Team Fluff: Bumble
Swipe right on Bumble, a Chow Chow-Lab mix whose sweet face is matched only by her super soft fur. This sweetie hails from the Double J Dog Ranch in Idaho — a dog rescue for pups with special needs. According to the same Animal Planet press release, Bumble is both blind and hearing impaired (brb, crying). "She has plenty of energy," Double J founder Cristene Justus told the Idaho Statesman. "She’s a busy girl, just like any other pup." But before you go seeking out Bumble's relationship status, she's already been adopted by a loving family, per the Statesman.
Team Fluff: Dawn
Dawn is a Dachschund-Beagle mix from the Citizens for Animal Protection in Houston, Texas. But despite her warm-weather home, her bio claims she's a fan of "dachshund through the snow" (get it?).
Team Fluff: Flora
Flora is a football player by day, and a rumba instructor by night, her Puppy Bowl biography claims. This American Staffordshire Terrier-Boxer is from the Animal Refuge League of Greater Portland.
Team Fluff: Foles
In West Philadelphia born and raised, this 17-week-old American Staffordshire Terrier-Akita mix is from the Providence Animal Center in Pennsylvania. However, Animal Planet claims that Foles now lives with his auntie and uncle in Bel Air.
Team Fluff: Gallagher
This sweetie is 18 weeks old, with giant paws and a heart to match. Gallagher's favorite book is "Beowoof," according to the Saint Bernard's biography, and hails from Iowa's AHeinz57 Pet Rescue & Transport.
Team Fluff: Lola
Don't let those wrinkles fool you — Lola is a mere 16 weeks old. This little Shar Pei is from the Little Dog Rescue in Florida, per Animal Planet, and boasts an impressive scrunchie collection.
Team Fluff: Maisey
Look at that face! According to Animal Planet, Maisey is a Labrador Retriever from the Jersey Girls Animal Rescue. And it sounds like this 14-week-old is a Marvel fan, since she considers herself a "Labra-Thor."
Team Fluff: Marisol
This Miniature Poodle-Catahoula mix hails from the Territorio de Zaguates rescue in Costa Rica, which was featured in the Netflix docuseries, Dogs. Marisol's bio says that she's 18 weeks old and her ideal first date is a sunset hike.
Team Fluff: Melody
This little girl hails from Tennessee, which is perhaps why her hair is so fabulously big. Melody is a Maltese-Yorksire Terrier mix, according to her Puppy Bowl bio, and originates from the Memphis Humane Society.
Team Fluff: Remington
He may not be smiling here, but Remington secretly loves dad jokes, according to his Puppy Bowl bio. This baby beagle is from Bonnie's Animal Rescue Kingdom in Paramus, New Jersey, and is 15 weeks old.
Team Fluff: Scooter
A Cocker Spaniel-Chihuahua mix, Scooter hails from the Virginia Beach SPCA. And this little guy has a big brain, according to Animal Planet, and studies A.I. at "Pupperdine University."
Team Fluff: Smudge
Smudge's huge paws are matched only by his big dreams. According to his biography, this Standard Bulldog-American Staffordshire Terrier aspires to be the next Super Bowl selfie kid. Smudge is from the Animal Friends Humane Society in Hamilton, Ohio, and has a mere 13 weeks to his mighty name.
Team Fluff: Will
Will is an Old English Sheepdog from the Doodle Rock Rescue in Texas. According to the Animal Planet press release, this big guy is a special needs dog with only three legs — but that doesn't seem to slow him down.
Team Fluff: Ziggy
A Sato-Boston Terrier mix, little Ziggy is also from the AHeinz57 Pet Rescue & Transport in Iowa.
Team Ruff: Alexander
A Great Pyrenees puppy, Alexander is from Big Fluffy Dogs, too. The 17-week-old's favorite rapper is LL Drool J, per his Animal Planet bio, and he looks like a bundle of energy.
Team Ruff: Bee
This Chihuahua-Pekingese mix looks like a flower but licks like a Bee. Per the pup's Animal Planet bio, Bee is all about the homeopathic lifestyle and only uses natural sweeteners. And this 14-week-old has traveled a long way to compete — all the way from The Sato Project in Puerto Rico.
Team Ruff: Bella
This little girl is also from Puerto Rico's Sato Project, and she's raring to play ball. Bella is a Shih Tzu-Chihuahua mix, and what she lacks in size, she more than makes up for in personality — her bio states that she's a "ruff-eree in training."
Team Ruff: Whitney
Whitney will always love her bodyguard, according to her Puppy Bowl bio. This beautiful Siberian Husky is an an 18-week-old from the Big Fluffy Dogs rescue.
Team Ruff: Bugsy
A Sato-Greyhound mix, Bugsy comes from Puerto Rico's Sato Project, as well. This 19-week-old claims to be related to "Al-Cabone," per Animal Planet, so don't be fooled by that innocent face.
Team Ruff: Emmit
Emmit seems like one to watch, as he holds the record for the most "pawsessions in the league," per his Animal Planet bio. He's a little Australian Cattle Dog-Boykin Spaniel mix from Planned Pethood in Florida.
Team Ruff: Flo
A Chihuahua-Maltese who enjoys the finer things in life, Flo owns "a custom-made unicorn float," per her Puppy Bowl bio. This 16-week-old is from the Helen Woodward Animal Center in Rancho Santa Fe, California.
Team Ruff: George
This little guy only pays in cryptocurrency, his Puppy Bowl biography claims, and originates from the Nevada SPCA. George is a Chihuahua-Miniature Poodle mix with 19 weeks to his credit.
Team Ruff: Harry
Harry is a 25-week-old Shih Tzu-Chihuahua mix. Not only can this little guy boast Puerto Rico's Sato Project as home, but he also loves spilling the tea, per Animal Planet.
Team Ruff: Hank
This beautiful Labradoodle is from Green Dogs Unleashed and claims to have watched "Hairy Pawter" 27 times, according to his Puppy Bowl bio.
Team Ruff: Moses
Moses is an intellectual, if his Puppy Bowl biography is any indication. Although the Chow Chow-American Staffordshire Terrier mix is only 18 weeks young, he already hosts a podcast called Canine Conversations. Moses is from the Big Fluffy Dog Rescue in Tennessee and looks like a serious contender for Sunday's big game.
Team Ruff: Pirate
This English Springer Spaniel-McNab mix is a 19-week-old from the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria in Virginia.
Team Ruff: Pistachio
Pistachio is a teeny-tiny Maltese from Indiana's Every Dog Counts Rescue. But don't let the name fool you — this pup never cracks under pressure, according to Animal Planet, and may prove to be a tough opponent.
Team Ruff: Scotch
Scotch is a Chihuahua-Shih Tzu mix whose "favorite walker is Johnnie," according to his Puppy Bowl bio. This 17-week-old is from Paw Works in California.
Team Ruff: Shy Boy
This fluffer is a Miniature Poodle-Lhasa Apso mix from the spcaLA in California. Shy Boy is 19 weeks old, per Animal Planet, and loves to "GTL — Groom, Train, Lay."
Team Ruff: Sierra
Sierra is an American Staffordshire Terrier-Chow Chow mix who loves to "one, two step," per her bio. She's from the Muddy Paws Rescue in New York, so she's no stranger to city living.
Team Ruff: Violet
Violet can boast coming from Lisa Vanderpump & Ken Todd's Vanderpump Dogs rescue in Los Angeles. This 18-week-old is a fabulous little Chihuahua-Miniature Poodle mix, according to her Puppy Bowl bio, and wants everyone to know that she doesn't shed — she sparkles.
So now that readers have familiarized themselves with all 36 of the starting pups, they can be properly psyched for Sunday's big game. And that's not even counting the 55 backup puppies, who are also up for adoption. And if these dogs are already taken, viewers can always visit their local rescues and shelters, where there are plenty of furry friends waiting for their forever homes.
