'Puppy Bowl' celebrates a big anniversary this year, one that shelter and rescue pups will cheer

The annual “Puppy Bowl” turns 20 this year, well over middle age in dog years. But does the sheer cuteness of it really ever get old?

“Who doesn’t want to watch dogs play all day long?” asks Laurie Johnson, the director of Florida Little Dog Rescue in St. Cloud, Florida, who has been part of “Puppy Bowl” for a decade.

There are some changes this year to the canine football telecast: Four previous puppy players return to be inducted in the new Puppy Bowl Hall of Fame and the show, which has grown to include armadillos, hedgehogs and chickens, will focus on dogs.

“What we’ve done this year to flip the whole script is because it’s sort of a celebration of the fact that it’s the 20th year,” says “Puppy Bowl” referee Dan Schachner. "We’ve decided to go all in on puppy, making it the “most puppiest ‘Puppy Bowl’ ever.”

The “Puppy Bowl” made its debut as counterprogramming to the Super Bowl in 2005. Dogs score touchdowns on a gridiron carpet when they cross the goal line — any goal line — with a toy.

The show is really just an excuse to spend time watching adorable, clumsy pups in colorful sweaters play with chew toys, wag their tails furiously and lick the camera. A deeper reason is to encourage animal adoption.

“We always say the same message every year: Adopt, don’t shop,” says Schachner. “There are responsible breeders out there, but it kind of defies logic that somebody who’s searching for a dog would look beyond their local shelter or rescue.”

According to the ASPCA, approximately 390,000 shelter dogs are euthanized each year and 2 million shelter dogs are adopted. Schachner says the number of animals languishing in shelters is back up after falling during the pandemic. “It’s worse than ever,” he says.

The inaugural “Puppy Bowl” was watched by nearly 6 million viewers. Last year, 13.2 million viewers tuned in, the largest reach for the event in five years. In comparison, the Emmy Awards telecast on Fox this year reached just 4.3 million viewers. This year's show will be simulcast across Animal Planet, Discovery, TBS and truTV.