Meet the 9 CT pups playing in Puppy Bowl XIX on Super Bowl Sunday

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Seven Connecticut pups will compete in Puppy Bowl XIX.
Animal Planet

There might be a few weeks left before the NFL Playoffs kick off and the Super Bowl LVII matchup is announced. But it’ll be Team Ruff against Team Fluff once again competing for the Lombarky trophy in Puppy Bowl XIX — and the Nutmeg State is pulling up.

Nine Connecticut rescue dogs from five shelters across the state made the teams this year. Danbury Animal Welfare Society, Dog Star Rescue, Lucky Dog Refuge, Pack Leaders Refuge of CT and Ridgefield Operation for Animal Rescue will be representing Connecticut when the pups take the field on Super Bowl Sunday. Last year, seven pups from Connecticut made the team.

Referee Dan Schachner will try to corral the canines as they try to get their chew toy into the endzone. The Puppy Bowl kicks off with a pre-game show at 1 p.m. on Feb. 12, just a few hours before the Super Bowl.

Aside from the three hours of playful pups, the Puppy Bowl aims to highlight the efforts of rescue and shelter workers helping animals find new homes. Puppy Bowl XIX features 122 puppies, 67 shelters and rescues across 34 states. In addition the Connecticut lineup, it’s also the first time a Native American animal organization and a puppy player from Dominica, West Indies will compete.

Cats will get their moment during the Arm & Hammer Slide Kitty Halftime Show.

The Puppy Bowl isn’t the only animal-based tradition encroaching on the gridiron tradition. Thanks to the puniness of Stephen Colbert and the cultural density of the “What We Do in the Shadows” cast, Super Bowl Sunday has also become a day to honor some Superb Owls.

So whether you’re perfecting that Buffalo chicken dip for your Super Bowl party or honoring some avians with a Superb Owl party, there’s still time to catch Puppy Bowl XIX on Animal Planet or streaming on Discovery+.