By SUE MANNING | Associated Press – Tue, Jan 29, 2013 2:42 AM PST
LOS
ANGELES (AP) — There will be a winner and a loser every Super Bowl
Sunday. But at the "Puppy Bowl," it's always a win for animal shelters.
The show provides national exposure to the shelters across the
country that provide the puppy athletes and the kittens that star in the
halftime show, and introduces viewers to the different breeds and
animals that need homes, animal workers say. Many shelters see bumps in
visits from viewers who are inspired to adopt a pet.
"It raises awareness for our shelter and others that take part," said
Madeline Bernstein, president and CEO of the Society for the Prevention
of Cruelty to Animals Los Angeles. "It shows dogs in a happy, playful,
fun way, which makes people think, 'Gee, I could play with a dog too.'
You hope it will also stimulate adoptions, and if not, at least a
positive attitude toward dogs, rather than they are just hairy and
smelly."
The "Puppy Bowl," an annual two-hour TV special that mimics a
football game with canine players, made its debut eight years ago on The
Animal Planet. Dogs score touchdowns on a 10-by-19-foot gridiron carpet
when they cross the goal line with a toy. There is a Most Valuable Pup
award, a water bowl cam, a new lipstick cam (it's in the lips of the
toys), slow-motion cameras, hedgehog referees, a puppy hot tub and a
blimp with a crew of hamsters. Bios on each puppy player flash across
the screen during close-ups of the action, letting viewers know how to
find each animal for adoption.
Most of the puppies, however, are usually adopted by airtime since
the show is filmed months ahead, said executive producer Melinda
Toporoff, who is working on her fifth "Puppy Bowl." But Bernstein said
the point is to show that animals just like the ones on the show can be
found at any shelter at any time.
"A lot of people have come in during the last year and said, 'I want a
dog just like Fumble,'" she said, referring to spcaLA's player entry in
"Puppy Bowl VIII" who earned the game's Most Valuable Pup crown.
About 300 puppies and kittens have been featured on "Puppy Bowl" over
the last decade, according to Petfinder.com, the country's largest
online pet adoption database that helps cast the show's animal stars.
"Shelters and rescues are at capacity, and pet adoption is the
responsible way to add to your family," said Sara Kent, who oversees
outreach to the 14,000 shelters and rescues that Petfinder works with.
The inaugural "Puppy Bowl," which was promoted as an alternative to
the Super Bowl, had 22 puppies and was watched by nearly 6 million
viewers. Nearly 9 million tuned in last year and another 1.4 million
watched via video streams, Toporoff said. "Puppy Bowl IX" will feature
84 animals, including 21 kittens from a New York shelter for the
halftime show, and 63 puppies from 23 shelters.
Only four of the puppies have yet to find new homes, Toporoff said.
They include Tyson, Daphne and Sacha — three pit bull mixes from the
Pitter Patter Animal Rescue in Silver Lake, Wis., — and Jenny, a terrier
mix from the Pitty Love Rescue in Rochester, N.Y.
"I don't know if there's any bigger forum for getting something out
on adoption. We make sure the message gets out there. We make clear that
these dogs need homes and that all animals have come to us during the
adoption process," Toporoff said.
Fumble, last year's MVP winner, was adopted before the show aired.
Michael Wright, of New York, said he found out about Fumble's
participation toward the end of the adoption process. He planned to
watch this year's show to catch any flashbacks of last year's MVP
playing his heart out.
"I'm not really a fan of football," he said, adding that he has
renamed Fumble to Toby. "He fits the name Toby. He is so cute. I like
the name Fumble, but I pictured someone dropping the ball. He wasn't a
Fumble," Wright said.
Each year, recruiting for the show is a logistical challenge for Kent
and her crew of 80-plus. This year's show was particularly worrisome
because taping was scheduled for October 2012 — just after Superstorm
Sandy hit the East Coast.
"We worried about the puppies, kittens and hedgehogs that may have
been directly impacted or unable to travel due to Sandy," Kent said.
The New York studio where the game was supposed to be taped lost
power, but the taping couldn't be postponed for too long given how
quickly puppies grow. Another studio further uptown that had both power
and space was found, and "amazingly, the crew was able to reschedule the
shoot for only a week later and all the animals were still able to
attend," Kent said.
Bernstein said they try to find rambunctious, energetic puppies to
enter in the bowl though even if a dog falls asleep on its way to the
end zone, it can be funny. Puppies chosen for the show have to be
between 10 and 15 weeks old, healthy and sturdy enough to be on the
field with playmates. All breeds are considered because "we try to
reflect what's out there in the adoption world. A lot of those breeds
are mixed," Toporoff said.
Producers also were trying to find ways to incorporate older animals
into the show, since shelters have more trouble finding homes for them
than they do puppies and kittens, Toporoff said.
As with all reality TV shows, the behind-the-scenes casting can lead
to problems. Viewers often come in seeking a dog just like one on the
show, and "then the lawyer brain kicks in, and you have to make sure you
let everybody know not every dog plays football," said Bernstein, who
is also an attorney. "People will adopt the kind of dog they see in the
movie and they'll expect their Dalmatian to know how to use a word
processor and not understand that was a cartoon."
"Some dogs like to play more than others. But don't come in thinking every Chihuahua can play football," she said.
The "Puppy Bowl" airs on Feb. 3 from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. in all time
zones and will keep repeating until 3 a.m. The Super Bowl starts at 6:30
p.m. ET and 3:30 p.m. PT.
