Puppy Bowl 2025
What is Puppy Bowl?
Helen Woodward Animal Center is excited to be taking part in Discovery Channel’s Puppy Bowl XXI! Puppy Bowl XXI is an annual program aired on Discovery Channel, discovery+, Animal Planet, TruTV and Max that showcases the wonderful talents of rescue pets and highlights the cause of adoption.
Puppy Bowl XXI, like every Puppy Bowl that’s come before it, airs on Super Bowl Sunday, right before the Super Bowl. Viewers will be treated to three hours of adorable action from rescue puppies all across the country.
Puppy Bowl Teams
Puppy Bowl XXI will be featuring Team Ruff, who wear orange bandanas, facing off against Team Fluff, who wear blue bandanas. Helen Woodward Animal Center is a little biased towards Team Ruff this year, as both of our pups competing – Callen and Petunia – are playing for Team Ruff.
Callen, a miniature pinscher-boxer blend, brings natural athleticism and a love for the game that should align with Team Ruff’s scramble-based system. However, he sometimes gets too excited to play, resulting in silly penalties. Fan favorite Petunia, a Chihuahua-Shi Tzu blend, makes up for her lack of natural athleticism with a positive attitude that rallies Team Ruff in the BARKer Room.
As of Puppy Bowl XXI, both Team Ruff and Team Fluff are even in their Puppy Bowl results. Each team has won the Puppy Bowl 5 times since Animal Planet and Discovery introduced the two teams in Puppy Bowl XI.
This year, Team Ruff are the defending champions, having taken home the Lombarky trophy in 2024’s Puppy Bowl XX.
We’re not entirely sure how Discovery and Animal Planet’s teams decide which Puppy Bowl contestants will be on which team. What we do know is that Helen Woodward Animal Center dogs have competed for both Puppy Bowl Teams since first taking part in the Puppy Bowl in 2019. Last year, two of Helen Woodward Animal Center’s puppies – Hana and Fred – made Team Fluff, while one Helen Woodward Animal Center puppy – Dory – made Team Ruff. However, this year both of Helen Woodward Animal Center’s poochies – Callen and Petunia – will be competing for Team Ruff.
Contenders from Puppy Bowl 2024
Three Helen Woodward Animal Center alumni made it to the Puppy Bowl roster last year. Fred, who won the Puppy Bowl’s “Most PUPular” contest, was a defensive powerhouse during the big game. Hana, a rescue from the Maui wildfires, dazzled crowds with her coast to coast touchdown. Finally Dory may have made the Puppy Bowl roster… but she opted to spend her time on the field with the camera operators than playing the game.
Puppy Bowl Halftime Show
Every year since Puppy Bowl II in 2006, the Puppy Bowl has a “Kitten Halftime Show.” This typically features a PAWformance by adoptable rescue kittens. We can’t say what the theme of the kitten halftime show will be this year, but we’re quite confident it’ll have audiences melting from cuteness.
Adoptions Resulting from Puppy Bowl
Helen Woodward Animal Center’s PAWticipation in the Puppy Bowl has been a huge benefit to the Center. Our participation in Puppy Bowl 2024 resulted in over a million people across the country learning about Helen Woodward Animal Center and our mission of people helping animals and animals helping people.
More importantly, Helen Woodward Animal Center’s 2024 Puppy Bowl participation resulted in all three of our Puppy Bowl pups finding their forever homes. Two of the Puppy Bowl participants – Hana and Fred – found their forever families at the Puppy Bowl itself. While Dory’s forever family met her shortly before the Puppy Bowl aired.
Link to: https://animalcenter.org/adopt-a-pet/
How to Watch Puppy Bowl 2025
Puppy Bowl, the original and longest running call-to-adoption television event, returns for its 21st year Sunday, February 9 at 11 AM PT/2 PM ET and will e-simulcast across Animal Planet, Discovery, TBS, truTV, Max, and discovery+. Be sure to check in early because the tail-gating starts with the PUPPY BOWL Pre-Game Show at 10 AM PT/1 PM ET. Viewers are taken behind-the-scenes on the Puppy Bowl draft with exclusive interviews with coaches and players. Puppy Bowl fans will also learn more about each comPETitors breed blend and other unique traits.
Final Thoughts
Helen Woodward Animal Center is honored to have puppies playing in Puppy Bowl XXI. The annual spectacle does so much good work for the cause of animal rescue and serves as a great way to support animal rescue while getting ready for the Big Game that day!
For more information on Helen Woodward Animal Center, please visit: https://animalcenter.org/
If you’re interested in adopting a dog from a championship winning Animal Rescue institution, please visit: https://animalcenter.org/adopt-a-pet/adoptable-dogs/
