Sunday saw the pup’s power come to light. To capture the prized Lombarky Trophy at Puppy Bowl 2022, Team Fluff let their inner hounds loose. Just before the human Super Bowl in 2022, the big game for little dogs, now in its 18th year, returned to the field on Sunday at 2 p.m. on Animal Planet and Discovery+. Dan Schachner, a veteran Puppy Bowl official, told The Post, “These are not trained puppies. These are canines in their most basic form.
This year’s competition featured more than 100 dogs from 63 shelters in 33 states, including a puppy from Hawaii, making it the biggest one yet. Additionally, this edition of the Bowl featured the greatest number of canines with special needs.
Drag a chew toy into the end zone is the lone rule in the Puppy Bowl. Schachner claimed that any additional calls are made on the spot. Only a small number of dogs are introduced to the turf at a time to prevent complete anarchy. Naturally, “coaches” Martha Stewart and Snoop Dogg, as well as First Lady Jill Biden, Elmo, and Tango gave a special message before the star-studded event began.
The game’s first and second touchdowns were both scored by Chihuahua Birch, giving Team Fluff an exhilarating start. Birch, the tiniest puppy in the Bowl, was adopted on Thanksgiving Day by a family with five children, two guinea pigs, a dog, and a tree frog. Birch was rescued from Ninna’s Road to Rescue in Louisiana.
Ellington, a Siberian husky and chow-chow mix on Team Ruff, gave them their first score, but at the end of the first quarter, Chorizo, a dachshund and American Staffordshire terrier cross on Team Fluff prevented them from scoring again. the field goal was then made for Team Ruff by the French bulldog Moby.
Halfway through the second quarter, Team Ruff’s Lulu, a soft Shih Tzu, and Pomeranian mix closed the game’s advantage, making the final score 21-17. A beagle and Australian cattle dog mix named Ruff’s Bimini ran far and scored a touchdown. Ruff assumed command.
Thanks to Kirby, a Labrador retriever who is a part of a pup-in-training program run in collaboration with America’s VetDogs, a non-profit organization based in New York that offers service dogs to disabled veterans and first responders for free, Fluff fought back immediately.
Things got a little physical between Ted D. Bear of the Ruff and Fluff’s Baxter, who received a penalty and fumbled before scoring a touchdown at the end of the first half. The feline cheerleaders onto the field for an energetic halftime display with lasers, bringing the score to 28-31 Fluff after Bear’s great play.
With large dog moves, the big dogs won the game. With a two-paw punch from Ruff’s Scout and a thundering tumble from Fluff’s Sky, penalty flags flew. Scout was given a “terrier-izing” penalty by the referee. But leave it to wheelchair-bound Fluff’s Benny, a poodle who was born with his vertebrae fused, to get everything back on track. After the third quarter, Ted D. Bear then assisted Ruff in taking the lead. Mr. Bear scored his third touchdown of the contest by pounce-flip-sprinting.
To keep the game paw-some for Team Ruff, Dalmatian Pongo barred Kali from Fluff. Although extremely valued dog Kirby stunned spectators with a double score for Fluff early in the fourth quarter, there was no stopping him. Little Chorizo increased Team Fluff’s lead to an astounding 59-48 after an outstanding string of rolls down the field. Odell Barkham, a beagle/chow chow mix, became Ruff’s comeback pup, making the final score nerve-wracking close for paws everywhere.
Wasabi, a native of New York, increased Fluff’s score to 66 points after receiving a penalty for “invasive sniffing” (along with a hearty pup-talk from Elmo) and helping the team hold onto their fortunate lead despite a touchdown from Ruff’s Banjo.
Finally, Ruff was unable to continue their winning streak from the previous season. Fluff won the trophy with a final score of 73-69, in large part because of Kirby, their designated Most Valuable Pup. In addition to providing a digestible football substitute, the yearly puppy celebration helps these precious pals find a forever home. The Puppy Bowl has always had a 100% adoption rate.
Every year following Puppy Bowl, adoption rates rise at the shelters that house the entertaining canines, he continued. According to Schachner, who has officiated the major game for the past 11 years, “every Puppy Bowl concludes with every puppy getting adopted.” “We want to show off as much variety as we can.”