Dog Lovers Rejoice! The Puppy Bowl Is Returning for 2021
Discovery+/Animal Planet/Elias Weiss Friedman Puppy Bowl XVII contenders
"Paw"s everything — the Puppy Bowl is coming!
The annual canine-powered sporting event is back and promises to be more action-packed than ever, airing on Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 7, ahead of the big game on Discovery+ and Animal Planet.
During the three-hour special, 70 adoptable puppies from shelters across the northeast U.S. will compete on Team Ruff and Team Fluff to see who comes out on top and wins the coveted "Lombarky" trophy.
"With the Wisdom Panel™ dog DNA test, we'll find out what's beyond those big puppy-dog eyes and how each dog's breed mix might give them an advantage on the field," a statement about the event reads. "We'll see their skills play out in the brand-new GEICO Stadium, where these adoptable players have even more room to rumble and fumble!"
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Discovery+/Animal Planet/Elias Weiss Friedman Puppy Bowl XVII contender Aaron Pawdgers
Discovery+/Animal Planet/Elias Weiss Friedman Puppy Bowl XVII contender Lucy
"Fan-favorite elements, including slow-motion replays, nose-to-nose action from the famous water-bowl cam and aerial shots of the field from the brand-new TEMPTATIONS™ Sky Box are all back this year, along with epic drone shots of puppy players across the arena that bring audiences as close as possible to all the gameplay action," the release promises.
"Additionally, for the first time ever on the sidelines, our Team Ruff and Team Fluff players will be cheered on by none other than adoptable puppy cheerleaders who will root and howl for their favorite players," says the release. "These cheerleading pups will turn up the volume with cuteness overload by shaking their pom-poms as the Puppy Bowl XVII players make their way down the field!"
"Rufferee" Dan Schachner (who has been commentating on the Puppy Bowl for 10 years!) will be returning for the big game, and the adorable sporting event will also include "a special profile of actress and animal advocate Kristen Bell, who has teamed up with Annenberg PetSpace in Los Angeles to spend time with Java, a Labrador mix puppy looking for a fur-ever home to snuggle in."
Discovery+/Animal Planet/Elias Weiss Friedman Puppy Bowl XVII contenders
RELATED VIDEO: Puppy Bowl Ref Dan Schachner Says Not to Underestimate This Year's Special-Needs Pups
'Puppy Bowl' Ref Dan Schachner Says Not to Underestimate This Year's Special Needs Pups
The annual Puppy Bowl airs Feb. 2nd at 3 p.m. ET on Animal Planet
As always, the Puppy Bowl "celebrates adoptable pups in all their cuteness and showcases the incredible shelters and rescues, as well as their staffers, who dedicate their lives to helping animals find their loving homes," the release explains. " The adoption rate is at 100 percent as all puppies and kittens featured in Puppy Bowl to date have found their forever homes with loving families."
"And even though this past year has been different from years past, one thing is for certain: There will be a Puppy Bowl — and Discovery+ and Animal Planet continue this annual tradition to highlight these special puppy players and kittens so that they can finally find the place they are meant to call 'home,' "
Puppy Bowl XVII airs Feb. 7 at 2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT on Discovery+ and Animal Planet, ahead of Super Bowl LV.
