How to watch this year’s Puppy Bowl, and which Chicago shelter is part of the fun

The teams are set for the ruff-est game to take place on Super Bowl Sunday — for the 19th annual Puppy Bowl.

The pooch lovers’ pre-show to the Feb. 12 Super Bowl, airs before the big game at noon.

Puppy Bowl XIX features perennial pooch powerhouses Team Ruff and Team Fluff competing for the Lombarky Trophy. Each team is stacked with adorable (and adoptable) puppies who romp on a model stadium’s turf for the three-hour show.

This year’s lovefest showcases 122 puppies from 67 shelters and rescues across 34 states.

Rescue puppies Jersey and Ziggy from Chicago’s One Tail at a Time will be competing in the big game.

The teams include 11 special-needs puppy players looking for forever homes, including Julius, a hearing-impaired Dalmatian and Mykonos, an American Staffordshire terrier/bulldog with a cleft palate.

What time and channel is the Puppy Bowl on?

Animal Planet/Discovery+

The game has its biggest viewing pawprint ever, simulcast on Animal Planet, Discovery Channel, TBS, HBO Max and Discovery+ for the first time. Puppy Bowl XIX kicks off with a pre-game show at noonfeaturing the scoop on the competing dogs vying for the Lombarky Trophy.

Puppy Bowl referee Dan Schachner returns for his 12th year, calling puppy penalties and touchdowns for the main event, which begins at 1 p.m. Sportscasters Steve Levy and Taylor Rooks will provide play-by-play commentary.

Who are 2023 Puppy Bowl stars, and how will we see them?

Fan favorites such as the water-bowl cam, the slo-mo cam and the end-zone pylon cameras allow viewing from every angle.

The show features spotlight segments on each player, including Cooper, a Boston terrier/boxer mix from the Seattle Humane shelter. Cooper visited the Seattle Seahawks’ training camp for one-on-one coaching with defensive end Shelby Harris, which could give Team Fluff a leg up — and make Cooper a MVP (Most Valuable Puppy) contender.

Also look out for Velma the Great Dane, the biggest pup in the game, who promises to score big.

But Team Ruff is stacked, with players like Joey — a terrier born without front legs — Joey is speedy on a two-wheel cart, but likes to hop on two legs into the end zone.

Will kittens play at the Puppy Bowl?

At halftime, the puppies leave the field, and it’s cat time. The Kitty HalftTime Show features adoption-ready kittens from three shelters who strut their stuff and do what they do best —play with cat toys.

Can you adopt Puppy Bowl dogs (and cats)?

Yes, every dog and cat is up for adoption. But the Puppy Bowl is taped over five days in October and edited into Super Bowl Sunday’s show. So the dogs and cats might have been adopted in the months in between. Viewers are encouraged to check with the shelters mentioned about prospective pooches. Even if they have a forever home, there might be others available.

Read more at usatoday.com