MUSKEGON, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – While football fans across the country gear up for Super Bowl LIX on Sunday, February 9th, at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, where the Kansas City Chiefs will face off against the Philadelphia Eagles, many others are eagerly awaiting the 21st annual “Puppy Bowl.”

The Puppy Bowl is a yearly event that was started in 2005. It mimics a football game similar to the Super Bowl – but uses puppies as the players. The puppies play inside a model stadium and there is commentary on their “actions” (or lack of if they are napping). The puppies on the field are from animal shelters and the TV program is designed to raise awareness for people to adopt pets from animal shelters.

From a Muskegon shelter to stardom.

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When it comes to puppy power, Michigan’s got some star players this year. Among the 142 rescue puppies in the game from across 80 shelters and spanning 40 states and two countries, are two pups from the Great Lakes state.

One is a puppy named Rory from the Big Lake Humane Society in Muskegon. Rory is a Siberian Husky/American Pit Bull Terrier mix. Rory arrived at the shelter with his mom and siblings in the summer of 2024. His mother, pregnant at the time, was found roaming the streets by Saginaw Animal Control. To ensure the best care for the newborn puppies, they were transferred to Big Lake Humane Society, which is better equipped to handle their needs.

Rory has been in training for the big moment for a while. Shelter Manager Velvet Lyght said to WZZM-13 in Grand Rapids, “We were starting to handle him and get him introduced to toys, playing with him, socializing him, because that’s a big thing, is you want to make sure they got some confidence to be able to interact in different weird situations. Because when you get to the puppy bowl and you have those bright lights and all these people running around and making calls with the ref and all these new puppies, they’ve got to be able to get out there and get on camera.”

Northern Michigan’s Trixie brings Michigan spirit to the Puppy Bowl.

The other puppy from Michigan is Trixie, a six-month-old Plott hound from the Little Traverse Bay Humane Society (LTBSH) in Harbor Springs. Both puppies will be representing “Team Fluff” playing against “Team Ruff” at the Puppy Bowl which will air on February 9th at 2 pm EST on the Animal Planet, Discovery and Max. At stake is the coveted “Lombarky” trophy.

According to Kinsey VanKuiken, donor relations manager for LTBHS, Trixie’s Puppy Bowl debut is a testament to their small shelter’s big impact. VanKuiken said to the Petoskey News-Review, “It was just really cool to see all the shelters across the country and the fact that our little Harbor Springs shelter was chosen to be a part of it was just a really, really cool experience.”

Though Trixie has since found her fur-ever home with a local family, her star turn is a chance for LTBHS to showcase their work and inspire others to adopt.

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Van Kuiken said, “I really hope that people who’ve adopted from us that live in other states will see us and … be proud to have adopted from us and that we can continue our mission. We will continue to sustainably and respectfully serve pets and people who love them and I would love for people to see what we do, because we are a small shelter, but we do huge things.”

Paws and perseverance: special needs pups and pre-game fun at Puppy Bowl XXI.

According to the press release from Discovery, “Puppy Bowl XXI will also be spotlighting 11 extraordinary special needs athletes, including Jolene, a courageous American Pit Bull Terrier-mix who competes in a wheelchair, and Sprinkle, a blind and hearing-impaired Australian Shepherd-mix who shows that being differently-abled is no obstacle to playing hard.”

Before the big game, fans can tune in to the brand-new Puppy Bowl XXI Kickoff, airing at 1 PM ET on Animal Planet. This pre-game show introduces a fresh feature: the Puppy Combine. Ten adorable pups will engage in practice drills, showing off their moves in a series of fun challenges. The competition culminates in the Puppy Bowl Draft, where the top pups are selected to join Team Ruff or Team Fluff!

So whether you’re tuning in for the touchdowns or just the tail wags, Michigan’s furry contenders are sure to steal the show. With Rory and Trixie bringing their playful energy to the Puppy Bowl, it’s a heartwarming reminder of the incredible work animal shelters do to give these pups a second chance.