RANCHO SANTA FE (January 8, 2026) – For the seventh year in a row, Helen Woodward Animal Center will be sending championship LineBARKers to the cutest game on television. The first, the last, and the biggest game of the Puppy Bowl playoffs is less than a month away. Discovery’s 22nd Annual Puppy Bowl will air on Sunday, February 8th at 11 am PST on Animal Planet, Discovery, TBS, truTV, Max, and discovery+. Helen Woodward Animal Center is inviting the public to two great events to support the Helen Woodward Animal Center and our hometown heroes Remy and Leo – A Special Meet-and-Greet with the puppies at Raising Canes in Mira Mesa on Saturday, February 7th and a Puppy Tailgate at McGregor’s Bar & Grill in Mission Valley on the day of the game, Sunday, February 8th.
Puppy Bowl XXII features two teams comprising of the cutest and most talented Running BARKs and DeFURnsive Ends in the world. These elite WOOFball players will take to the gridiron for a playful game of terrier touchdowns, puppy penalties and doggo drama! Hailing from animal rescues and shelters across the country, these fuzzy players that make up #TeamRuff and #TeamFluff will push themselves to the adorable limit to win their team the esteemed Walmart Lombarky Trophy, and more importantly, their forever homes.
Helen Woodward Animal Center is honored to have two amazing alumni representing our mission of “people helping animals and animals helping people.” Leonardo da Barky – also known as Leo – is a chihuahua blend who impressed preseason scouts with his energy on the field, determination to get the ball in the endzone, and capability to shut down the offense. Sir Remington Fluffypoo Esquire II – or Remy, as his friends call him – is a ham for the camera. He’s unbelievably adorable and he absolutely knows it. While he’s hit or miss on the field, he’s a star in front of the camera.
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- Leonardo da Barky
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- Sir Remington Fluffypoo Esquire II
To celebrate Leo and Remy, Helen Woodward Animal Center is going all out Puppy Bowl weekend. Saturday, February 7th, the Center is teaming up with Puppy Bowl Sponsor Raising Canes to host a meet and greet with Remy, Leo, and other Puppy Bowl veterans at their Mira Mesa location. Then, the day of the game, February 8th, Helen Woodward Animal Center is teaming up with McGregor’s Bar and Grill for the 5th year in a row to throw a Puppy TAILgate. Attendees can compete in a Cornhole ComPETtetion to win amazing prizes courtesy of Raising Canes and Sesame Place! Tailgaters can also chow down on a custom-canine themed menu. The event will be held on the dog-friendly patio, and attendees are encouraged to bring their furry friends with them to enjoy the game. 10% of all food and drink sales go directly back to helping the pets and programs at Helen Woodward Animal Center.
Those who cannot attend the Tailgate can still root for Remy and Leo by tuning in. Puppy Bowl, the original and longest running call-to-adoption television event, returns for its 22nd year Sunday, February 8 at 11 AM PT/2 PM ET and will be simulcast across Animal Planet, Discovery, TBS, truTV, Max, and discovery+. Be sure to tune-in early because the tail-gating starts with a PUPPY BOWL Pre-Game Show at 10 AM PT/1 PM ET. Viewers are taken behind-the-scenes of the Puppy Bowl draft featuring exclusive interviews with coaches and players. Puppy Bowl fans will also learn more about each of the comPETitors breed blends and their other unique traits.
100% of the puppies and kittens that have participated in PUPPY BOWL have been adopted to loving families.
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About Helen Woodward Animal Center
Helen Woodward Animal Center is a private, non-profit organization where “people help animals and animals help people.” Founded in 1972 in Rancho Santa Fe, Calif., the Center provides services for more than 90,000 people and more than 10,000 animals annually through adoptions, educational and therapeutic programs both onsite and throughout the community. Helen Woodward Animal Center is also the creator of the International Home 4 the Holidays pet adoption drive, the International Remember Me Thursday® campaign and The Business of Saving Lives Workshops, teaching the business of saving lives to animal welfare leaders from around the world. For more information, go to: www.animalcenter.org.
