These two puppies from the Philly area won this year’s Puppy Bowl
Team Fluff earned the win this year, overtaking Team Ruff 63-59 in a nail-biter of an ending.
It’s Super Bowl Sunday, and Philadelphia has a reason to celebrate again.
Two local pooches were on the winning team in Puppy Bowl XVI, the annual Animal Planet contest that pits adoptable dogs against one another to earn the coveted “Lombarky” Trophy.
Team Fluff earned the win this year, overtaking Team Ruff 63-59 in a nail-biter of an ending featuring a last-second touchdown from Rocky Road, a New York German Shepherd mix. Among the 40 dogs on the starting lineups were three local pups — they didn’t record touchdowns by running toys into the “end zone," but these good boys still scored plenty of attention.
On Team Fluff’s winning squad were Coach, a 4-month old Treeing Walker coonhound/boxer mix from Philadelphia’s Morris Animal Refuge, and Kingery, a 3-month-old boxer/American Staffordshire terrier mix from Media’s Providence Animal Center.
Also participating in the Puppy Bowl was Linus, a 14-week-old Pomeranian/miniature poodle mix from Marlton’s New Life Animal Rescue. Linus’ Team Ruff got no help from him — he was penalized for extreme cuteness.
But not to worry. All the Puppy Bowl dogs win in the end: They get homes. Linus was adopted in September and now lives with his furever family in Collegeville, new owner Howard Shinder said last month.
And don’t forget about the halftime show — that is, the Kitten Halftime Show — which featured Lola, a feline also from Philadelphia’s Morris Animal Refuge.
Team Fluff reclaimed the Lombarky Trophy this year after falling last year to Team Ruff, 59-51.