Meet the Philly-area dogs competing in Animal Planet’s Puppy Bowl

The Eagles may have missed the big game this year, but the Philly area will still have a presence on Super Bowl Sunday thanks to a few local dogs participating in Animal Planet’s Puppy Bowl XVI.

This year’s event once again pits Team Ruff against Team Fluff in a contest for the day’s ultimate prize of the “Lombarky” trophy. Overall, 96 adoptable puppies from 61 shelters will participate in the game.

More than 40 of the participating pups will make up the Puppy Bowl’s starting lineup, and of that group, three come from the Philadelphia area.

Team Fluff will feature two Philly pups. Coach, an 18-week-old Treeing Walker coonhound/boxer mix hails from Philly’s own Morris Animal Refuge, while 13-week old boxer/American Staffordshire terrier mix Kingery comes from Media’s Providence Animal Center.

Team Ruff, meanwhile, will have Jersey dog Linus, a Pomeranian/miniature poodle mix from Marlton’s New Life Animal Rescue. Linus, new owner Howard Shinder tells the Inquirer, was adopted from New Life Animal Rescue in September, and currently resides in Collegeville.

A third Pennsylvania-based pup, Kenny — a 13-week-old golden retriever/boxer mix — will also appear on Team Ruff, though he hails from Animal Friends in Pittsburgh. Likewise, Team Fluff will feature another Jersey dog in Spritz, an 18-week-old German shepherd/rottweiler mix from South Plainfield’s Jersey Girls Animal Rescue.

This year, Team Fluff will be attempting to overcome Team Ruff, who won Puppy Bowl XV with a 59-51 victory. Puppy Bowl XVI will run at 3 p.m. Feb. 2 on Animal Planet.

Locally, there will be watch parties at Devil’s Den in South Philly, as well as at the Green Knoll Grill in Bridgewater, N.J.