Oggi’s Del Mar Welcomes Puppy Bowl Fans Rooting for Helen Woodward Animal Center Orphan Pup Bobby in the Big Game
Rancho Santa Fe, Calif. (January 16, 2020) – – Animal Planet’s PUPPY BOWL may not have the largest viewership on game day, but one could argue it draws an equally passionate crowd. Plus, strategically placed hours before the Super Bowl kickoff, football fans and puppy fans can unite and combine efforts to make San Diego’s only orphan pup player this year’s MVP! Helen Woodward Animal Center is delighted to invite animal-lovers to the Puppy Bowl XVI Watch Party at Oggi’s Del Mar, Sunday, February 2 between 11:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Viewers can cheer on Bobby as he enters the GEICO stadium vying for the CHEWY “Lombarky” Trophy.
For the last 16 years, Animal Planet has televised PUPPY BOWL – the world’s cutest sporting event. On football’s biggest day, two teams of the fluffiest and cuddliest line barkers and wide retrievers take to the gridiron for a playful game of terrier touchdown, puppy penalties and furry fumbles. Representing rescues and shelters from across the country, these adoptable four-legged players that make up #TeamRuff and #TeamFluff are serious when it comes to winning the Most Valuable Puppy title and more importantly…their forever homes. This year, San Diego’s only puppy player hails from Helen Woodward Animal Center.
Helen Woodward Animal Center acquainted the media with Bobby late in 2019 when he and his four littermates were found by a rescue partner, only weeks old, motherless, and in a desperate fight for survival. With hope and a prayer, the rescue introduced the fragile litter to a Chihuahua mother who was nursing three newborns of her own. In no time at all, the blended family had bonded. Nicknamed the ChiFloofer Bunch, they were transferred to Helen Woodward Animal Center for further care and became a social media sensation. Chalk it up to his fighting spirit, but Bobby’s spunk secured him an easy place in the big game and even scored him a bid as one of this year’s vying MVPs.
To celebrate Bobby’s big game and help him become this year’s Most Valuable Puppy, Oggi’s Del Mar is hosting a Puppy Bowl XVI Watch Party with 15% of all food and drink supporting the pets and programs at Helen Woodward Animal Center. The event will be held on the dog-friendly patio between 11:30 a.m and 2:00 p.m. Attendees will meet Helen Woodward Animal Center orphan pups arriving in tiny football jerseys and guests who bring a donation for the Center’s AniMeals Program will receive a FREE ½ order of Oggi’s Garlic Knots. Additionally, Just Food For Dogs will be on-site with goodies and coupon giveaways for pups.
Last year’s Helen Woodward Animal Center representative, Puppy Bowl XV competitor Poppy, will also be making an appearance. Poppy was recently welcomed into the Center’s Pet Encounter Therapy Program – bringing unconditional love to hospitals, nursing homes, and other special needs facilities across the city.
Those who cannot attend the Watch Party, can still vote for Bobby by tuning into Puppy Bowl XVI on Animal Planet and voting on social media. For more information on the Puppy Bowl XVI Watch Party, contact Helen Woodward Animal Center at (858) 756-4117.
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.
