Puppy Bowl 2019: What To Expect From The Cutest Event Of The Year

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Whether you’re a football fan or you couldn’t care less about what team wins on Super Bowl Sunday, we’re willing to bet that you’re still interested to know all of the cutesy details about this year’s Puppy Bowl XV. And boy do we have some juicy details for you.

First, a recap of the annual pooch extravaganza. The puppy bowl airs every year before the Super Bowl on Animal Planet. It’s basically two hours of absolute adorableness during which two teams of adoptable puppies from shelters across the United States — Team Ruff and Team Fluff — “compete” for the MVP (Most Valuable Puppy) award.

The MVP award goes to the pup who scores the most touchdowns, using dog toys. Any toy dragged across either goal line counts as a touchdown. In reality, you’ll be watching a group of 93 puppies aimlessly playing with toys (and each other) on a makeshift miniature football field constructed at the Geico stadium. That’s enough to get our attention.

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A post shared by Animal Planet (@animalplanet) on Jan 17, 2019 at 10:07am PST

“Adopt don’t shop” advocates will be happy to know that the Puppy Bowl has a 100 percent adoption rate for all puppy participants. Sadly, all of the pooches are usually already adopted by the time the show airs on Super Bowl Sunday. So if you have your eyes set on one pup in particular during the game, don’t get your hopes up — he or she might have already been adopted.

Some of this year’s puppy participants that you can plan to meet on the field include Will, a three-legged Old English Sheepdog from Doodle Rock Rescue in Texas and Marisol, a Miniature Poodle-Catahoula mix from Territorio de Zaguates, a pup rescue shelter in Costa Rica.

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A post shared by Doodle Rock Rescue (@doodlerockrescue) on Jan 3, 2019 at 3:01pm PST

This year marks the 15th anniversary of Animal Planet’s Puppy Bowl. It seems that every year the event becomes more and more extravagant and this year is no different. As always, Shirley the rescue sloth will be in attendance as the assistant referee. But this year, a group of lovable baby sloths from Costa Rica’s Toucan Rescue Ranch sanctuary will be there as well to help Shirley call out any ruffness on the field.

The puppies on the playing field will be supported by baby kangaroos, capybaras and baby porcupines who will be “cheerleading” throughout the game (no, we’re not kidding). Puppy Bowl XV premiers on Animal Planet Sunday, February 3rd at 3 pm. Here’s a sneak peek preview to get you warmed up: