Feb. 9, 2025 is obviously a massive holiday for football lovers. With huge Super Bowl sales, lavish parties and an exciting performance from Usher, there’s more than enough to look forward to this Sunday.

But even if you’re not a football fan or party lover, there’s a super-sweet reason to tune in on Feb. 9: the annual return of the Puppy Bowl! Animal lovers can watch the adorable antics of over 100 puppies this year (and cats, and penguins and hamsters) and celebrate their impending adoptions to their forever homes.

Here is everything you need to know about the Puppy Bowl 2025, also known as every pet shelter’s favorite holiday.

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What is the Puppy Bowl?

The Puppy Bowl is an annual televised event put on by Animal Planet on the day of the Super Bowl. Since 2005, the “game” has featured dozens of not-so-trained puppies taking a scaled-down stadium and field to play ball. Like always, in Super Bowl 2025, pups are divided into orange and blue teams by bandanas, known as “Team Ruff” and “Team Fluff,” respectively. The dogs’ goal is to get the ball into an end zone—unlike in real football, it doesn’t matter which one—to win the coveted “Lombarky” trophy. The whole game is overseen by a designated “rufferee.”

How does the Puppy Bowl benefit shelter dogs?

Emma 2023 Puppy Bowl Courtesy Warner Bros. DiscoveryCourtesy Warner Bros. Discovery

Now, the point behind the Puppy Bowl isn’t really a rough-and-tumble football game. Rather, it’s an opportunity to showcase some of the country’s adoption-available shelter dogs and cats in order to find them a new home. Each year, every dog and cat featured in the Puppy Bowl has been adopted.

“We really couldn’t ask for a better platform,” says Beckles. Beckles had numerous dogs participating in the 2023 Puppy Bowl. Johnson concurred, highlighting the stigma-busting capacities of the Puppy Bowl: “[I]t shows you that you can get just about any type of dog in rescue …. I would say 90, 95 percent of the dogs that are in rescue are not here because they failed as dogs. They’re here because human failed them as owners.”

Beckles and Johnson both claim that interest in adoption spikes dramatically after the Puppy Bowl. “We get calls from all over the country when Puppy Bowl airs asking about our pups,” says Johnson. “There’s been a couple years where we’ve had our website crash.” Beckles adds that the attention also results in a “definite increase” in donations and volunteer applications. That’s no surprise as there are many benefits to adopting a shelter dog.

What can I expect to see in Puppy Bowl 2025?

Jimmy Kibble 2023 Puppy Bowl Courtesy Warner Bros. DiscoveryCourtesy Warner Bros. Discovery

In Puppy Bowl 2025, you’ll see puppies from all across the country. In 2024, there were 131 puppies from 73 shelters and rescues across different states. You’ll find that the puppies are of different breeds with various abilities and individual personalities.

All of the dogs have been appropriately socialized and prepared for the bright lights of the Puppy Bowl, so get ready to see some extra-happy, playful pups! Additionally, the Puppy Bowl 2025 will continue its tradition of featuring a “Kitty Halftime Show” of adoption-available cats.

Where do I watch the Puppy Bowl 2025 live?

Effie 2023 Puppy Bowl Courtesy Warner Bros. DiscoveryCourtesy Warner Bros. Discovery

The Puppy Bowl 2025 will air before the Super Bowl. You can watch it on Animal Planet, the Discovery Channel or TBS, or streaming on Discovery+ and HBO Max.

It’s important to note that the Puppy Bowl isn’t exactly “live.” Like an SNL digital short aired on Saturday night, it has been pre-taped, meaning that many of the puppies featured in the bowl will have already been adopted by the time it airs. However, if you see a pup you particularly like, do not hesitate to reach out; you never know who’s still available (like Jimmy Kibble!).

Additionally, even if your preferred pup has already been adopted, participating shelters are more than happy to refer you to other adoptable puppies in their care or at other shelters. So, be sure to tune in to find your fur-ever friend, or just to fawn over some paw-fect pups! Might I suggest cuddling up with your own companion and preparing some homemade dog treats? That’s what I’ll be doing.

About the experts

  • Chrissy Beckles is the founder and president of the Sato Project, a non-profit focused on rescuing abandoned dogs in Puerto Rico.
  • Laurie Johnson is the director of Florida Little Dog Rescue, a group that “rehabilitates unwanted, abused and abandoned little dogs and places them in loving and responsible homes to live out their lives as cherished family members.”

Why trust us

At Reader’s Digest, we’re committed to producing high-quality content by writers with expertise and experience in their field in consultation with relevant, qualified experts. We rely on reputable primary sources, including government and professional organizations and academic institutions as well as our writers’ personal experiences where appropriate. For this piece on the Puppy Bowl 2025, Van Van Cleave tapped their experience as an editor and  writer, along with interviewing Sato Project founder Chrissy Beckles and Laurie Johnson, the director of Florida Little Dog Rescue. We verify all facts and data, back them with credible sourcing and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.

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