Puppy Bowl, the "softer side" of Super Bowl Weekend

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Puppy Bowl, the "softer side" of Super Bowl Weekend

Updated Dec 8, 2024

If you only watch the Super Bowl for the ads, then you also might enjoy flipping over to Animal Planet and watching Puppy Bowl V — “the ultimate puppy showdown.” (Above is the clip from Puppy Bowl IV.)

Recruiting from local shelters, the Puppy Bowl features adoptable puppies on a pseudo-football grid iron battling with toys, playing tug-of-war, and committing fouls (piddles) on the field. Crowd sounds fill the background as puppies go nose-to-nose; and nose to every other part of the body; making their way down the field shrugging their stuffed toy and looking absolutely adorable.

Before these puppies vie for title Most Valuable Puppy, Pepper the Parrot, a 12-year old African Grey, will kick things off by singing the National Anthem. And in between the puppy action, kittens will play in the halftime show.

You may recognize Harry Kalas, the voice of the Philadelphia Phillies, giving the play-by-play. Or you may not. Either way, it’s fun for people who love pets to take a short break from the day long Super Bowl coverage.

Puppy Bowl V will air on Animal Planet on Sunday, February 1 at 3 p.m. EST.

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Thank you for helping us spread the message of compassionate care and responsible pet ownership!

Cathy Rosenthal (aka The Pet Pundit), CHES, CFE

Animal Welfare Communications Strategist, Writer & Educator

Cathy M. Rosenthal is an award-winning humane educator and author, animal welfare strategist, pet columnist, and speaker who has spent more than 38 years working in animal welfare with local and national humane organizations. She helps people better understand and care for animals through her nationally syndicated My Pet World column and has been the longtime pet columnist for the San Antonio Express-News since 2003.

In addition to her writing, Cathy develops humane education, leadership, customer service, and compassion fatigue training programs for animal welfare organizations nationwide, and has helped raise millions of dollars through grant writing, strategic communications, and program development.

Cathy is the editor and curator of Humane Perspectives: Leadership in Animal Welfare and is the author of several books, including Grant Writing Boot Camp for Animal Advocates, The Lucky Tale of Two Dogs, and The Happy Tale of Two Cats, which was the 2026 winner of the Association of Professional Humane Educators’ (APHE) "Educator’s Choice Award" for Best Humane Education Book for Young Children. She also received the 2026 APHE Nathania Gartman Heroes Award for Impact in Humane Education. Her humane education programs in Texas have reached more than 45,000 elementary school children since 2019.

She resides in Texas with her husband, their cat Sterling, and a former community cat, Maddie, who successfully negotiated an indoor living arrangement but still considers human affection highly negotiable.

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1 thought on “Puppy Bowl, the "softer side" of Super Bowl Weekend”

Samson
February 3, 2009 at 8:40 pm

That is adorable! I had no idea that even existed. Thanks for the heads up. I’ll be sure to check that out next year.

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