The 3 Mass. dogs playing the Puppy Bowl are doggone adorable
We do not apologize for the headline.
Animal Planet
The Patriots may not have made it to the Super Bowl, but Massachusetts will be represented at another nationwide smackdown happening this weekend: the Puppy Bowl.
Three dogs from the Last Hope K9 Rescue shelter in Boston have made it to Animal Planet’s 12th annual Puppy Bowl, which serves as counterprogramming to America’s biggest football event of the year.
During the Puppy Bowl, a bunch of tiny pooches are put in a miniature “stadium,’’ given toys, and filmed for two hours as they play. Like this:
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Splash and Puddle, two Great Pyrenees, and Blondie, a Goldendoodle/Labradoodle mix, were all scouted from Last Hope for this weekend’s brawl.
Splash is in the starting lineup, said Manda Carco, marketing coordinator at Last Hope. Blondie and Puddle are second strings. That means only Splash is guaranteed air time, but Carco told folks at home to “keep an eye out for possible cameos of Blondie and Puddle!’’
Animal Planet worked with 44 different shelters to find the most eligible puppies in the nation, according to their pre-game video (which is adorable and worth a watch). Each of the 80 dogs featured in Puppy Bowl XII is either up for adoption or has been adopted since filming wrapped. And during broadcast, emphasis is placed on the importance of adopting shelter dogs.
Since taping in October, all three Massachusetts dogs—who have grown, of course—have found forever homes, according to Carco.
Splash
Splash, now called “Gryffindor,’’ lives with his forever family in Stoughton, according to Carco. He likes to play with a stuffed Bernese Mountain Dog named Douglas and his owners’ snow hats and socks and enjoys being held upright and pet after he eats until he burps.
Puddle
Puddle, who was renamed Nora by her new family (and was Splash’s littermate), has two new cat siblings whom she loves, Carco said. Her favorite treat is coconut oil, though she prefers food that isn’t hers, and she knows a total of 13 commands.
BlondieAnimal Planet
And Blondie, aka Muddy, lives in Arlington with his adopted family. He enjoys baking apple pies with his new mom, going for runs, and hiking in the woods, Carco said.
The folks at Last Hope are “very excited’’ to see their babies on the TV screen this weekend. The Puppy Bowl first airs at 3 p.m. EST on Animal Planet, and will be played on repeat all day on Super Bowl Sunday.
To learn more about when and where you can watch, head to Animal Planet’s website.
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