OK, so your favorite Philadelphia football team won’t be playing in the Super Bowl.
But there will still be puppies, courtesy of Puppy Bowl 22 running on the Discovery Channel, writes Maria Pulcinella for WHYY.
It’s a record number of contenders, with 150 puppy players representing 72 shelters and rescue organizations.
This year’s Puppy Bowl will feature nearly a dozen Philadelphia-area shelter dogs, including two from the Providence Animal Center in Media Borough.
With a nod to the Eagles, one of the competitors from Providence is DeVon-tails Smith. He’ll be playing for Team Ruff.
His brother, Teddy, also from Providence Animal Center, will play for Team Fluff.
The Puppy Bowl is an annual tradition that airs before the Super Bowl. Its focus is on adoptable puppies and special needs dogs, hoping viewers will be inspired to adopt a dog from a local shelter.
“Every puppy you see has a story,” Laura Houston, executive director of the Animal Welfare Association, said in a statement, “and every one of them deserves a chance at a happy ending.”
The 2026 Puppy Bowl kicks off Sunday, Feb. 8, at 2 PM.
Read more about what’s new at this year’s Puppy Bowl at WHYY.
