Over the years, I’ve never been that into watching the Super Bowl. My preferred game to watch? Puppy Bowl, of course! That’s right, I’d much rather be squealing in delight over cute puppies tackling each other. The 16th annual Puppy Bowl will air on Animal Planet on Sunday, Feb. 2, 2020, starting with a special tailgate pre-game show at 2 p.m. ET and the official game at 3 p.m. ET. 

If you’re the kind of person who likes to pamper your pets, get ready for the biggest Puppy Bowl ever! With 96 puppies from 65 shelters from all over the world, these lil’ champs will compete for the fan-favorite titles of “MVP” (Most Valuable Puppy) and “Underdog Award.” The two teams, Ruff and Fluff, will compete for the coveted Lombarky Trophy. 

More than just being adorable entertainment, the game brings important attention to adopting rescues. The puppies range in age from 12 to 26 weeks old and breeds from Chihuahuas to Shih Tzus. Some have traveled domestically from California to Puerto Rico and internationally from Toronto, Canada, to Cartagena, Colombia. 

Image Credit: Animal Planet

There are even some furr-ballers in the mix with special needs. Ferris is a three-legged Catahoula-Labrador mix (pictured above). Kismet, a Great Dane, and Paprika, a terrier mix, are hearing impaired. Filbert is a Sheltie mix who is blind and hearing impaired. Rooster, a French bulldog mix, has a cleft palate. 

As if the show wasn’t already darling enough, the Kitty Half-Time Show is literally the cat’s meow. This year feline stars like Jennipurr Lopez and Catira will be arriving red-carpet style in fancy limos. (ICYMI, Jennifer Lopez and Shakira are performing at this year’s Super Bowl in Miami.) On top of that you’ll see pygmy goats and armadillos cheerleading their faves!

Image Credit: Animal Planet

In the past, all participating dogs and cats have found new fur-ever homes after the Puppy Bowl. As you would expect, participating shelters also gain popularity afterwards, attracting more potential pet parents. Even Lisa Vanderpump’s Vanderpump Dog Foundation has a player named Huck on the lineup (pictured above). 

You can check out More’s behind-the-scenes coverage on our Instagram stories. Then get inspired to set up a “pawsitive” viewing party with your pets with these goodies below!