Puppy Bowl Features Special-Needs Dogs Plus Rabbit and Penguin Cheerleaders

On the second Sunday in February, while most of America watches the Super Bowl, there is another football contest called the Puppy Bowl, a mock game between dogs to raise awareness on pet adoption and rescue. This year Puppy Bowl turns 20, and will feature among the canine contestants a half dozen special-needs dogs.

The special guys include four deaf dogs, a papillon mix named Mr. Bean born without his front legs, and a pug/wire-haired terrier mix called Riddle with cerebellar hypoplasia, a neurological condition that affects mobility and coordination. “This hasn't stopped Riddle from running, playing in Puppy Bowl, and enjoying life,” according to People magazine.

The furry football “game” – mainly dogs running around, playing with football-shaped toys, and just interacting with each other – takes place in a miniature football stadium, accompanied by pun-filled commentary and analysis. Contests have included a menagerie of cheerleaders over the years: rabbits, chickens, pigs, hedgehogs, and penguins. Halftime festivities always involve cats, animated with catnip, laser pointers, and balls of yarn.

This year’s Puppy Bowl will be the biggest yet, featuring 131 puppies and 73 shelters and rescues across 36 states and territories. Among the players will be the smallest pup to ever compete, one Sweetpea weighing 1.7 pounds, as well as the largest, Levi the Great Dane at 70 lbs.

Puppy Bowl XX airs on Sunday, Feb. 11 at 2 p.m. ET on Animal Planet, Discovery, Discovery +, TBS, TruTv, and Max. Watch highlights from last year’s contest here.

Photo Credit: Animal Planet