Puppy Bowl
| Puppy Bowl | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Genre | Homage to sports television |
| Narrated by |
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| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language(s) | English |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | Melinda Toporoff |
| Running time |
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| Release | |
| Original network | Animal Planet |
| Picture format |
480i (4:3 SDTV) (2005–08) 1080i (16:9 HDTV) (2008–present) |
| Original release | February 6, 2005 – present |
| Chronology | |
| Related shows | Puppy Games |
| External links | |
| Website | |
| Production website | |
The Puppy Bowl is an annual television program on Animal Planet that mimics an American football bowl game similar to the Super Bowl, using puppies. Shown each year on Super Bowl Sunday, the show consists of footage of a batch of puppies at play inside a model stadium, with commentary on their actions. The first Puppy Bowl was shown on February 6, 2005, opposite Super Bowl XXXIX. The puppies featured in the Puppy Bowl are from shelters.
According to the show's producers, the inspiration for Puppy Bowl as Super Bowl counterprogramming came from the popular Yule Log Christmas program.
Several months of planning occur before each show, which is usually filmed in October. A veterinarian is on site during the production of Puppy Bowl to ensure animal safety and well-being, and to administer any veterinary medical care which might be needed. Representatives from American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, as well as the shelters which lend their animals to the production, are also on-site as observers to ensure animal welfare standards are maintained. In 2012, an American Humane Association representative was always on-site to ensure that puppies did not become too aggressive and injure one another.
According to its associate producer, about 53 hours of filming are needed to produce a single Puppy Bowl. In 2007, shooting occurred over three days. Roughly 30 staff members were needed in 2008 to produce the show. In 2010, the veterinarian on site said filming was spread over three days, while in 2015 filming occurred in 12-hour blocks over two days. Puppies are given a rest period every 30 minutes, due to the heat from the lights. Forty-six puppies were used in 2008, and about 60 puppies in 2010. The 2011 production occurred in the New York City area in the fall of 2010, using 47 puppies, while the 2012 show featured 58 puppies. The 2013 show (filmed at a television studio in west midtown in Manhattan) featured 63 puppies, with 10 on the "field" at one time. Filming occurred over two days. The 2014 episode was filmed October 2 to 4, 2013, at the Chelsea Broadcast Center in Manhattan, New York City. A staff of 49 Animal Planet employees and 48 volunteers wrangled the animals, with each puppy assigned a single human overseer. Kittens and cats were filmed the first day, puppies and dogs the second, and other animals on the fourth. A total of 66 puppies were used for the show in 2014, including a basset hound with a genetic defect to its paw. This allowed 12 to 15 puppies to be on the field at a time, and for puppies to be given rest periods every 20 minutes. Another 30 untrained kittens, five penguins, three trained adult cats, eight "tailgate party" dogs, four police dogs, and six hamsters were used in the 2014 show. All the animals except the penguins (which were provided by the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium) are adoptable. In 2015, 37 shelters from around the United States and Puerto Rico submitted 85 puppies for the event, of which 55 puppies were chosen to be on the air. Another 25 kittens were used for the half-time show. Forty-four shelters and rescue groups in 25 states provided 49 animals in 2016. (Eighty-eight animals "auditioned".) Filming returned to an eight-hour-a-day, three-day format in 2016, with two days used for filming puppies and one day for kittens and other animals. Sixty personnel were needed for filming. Puppies were grouped by size (small, medium, and large) for on-field play. For Puppy Bowl XIII, 34 shelters and rescue organizations in 22 states and Puerto Rico provided the 78 puppies featured on the show.
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