Snacks? Check. HD screen the size of an SUV? Check. Friendly wagers with partygoers? Check.
The anticipation couldn’t be higher in Chicago for … Puppy Bowl XII.
With the Bears out of the OTHER big game happening Sunday, Chicagoans can still find hope in knowing that two of the esteemed Puppy Bowl “athletes” are from the Windy City. Cooper, a Great Pyrenees/collie mix, and Athena, an American bulldog mix, will compete in the game (2 p.m. Sunday, Animal Planet) alongside more than 80 other pups.
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Athena and Cooper were submitted as Puppy Bowl players by PAWS Chicago, a local no-kill shelter. While both dogs have since been adopted, the rest of the lineup features adoptable (and adorable!) canines from 44 shelters across 25 states.
Cooper originally hails from Tennessee, where he was rescued along with his five siblings. With adoptions increasing in recent years, PAWS has been able to rescue animals from other states that would otherwise be put down. As for Athena, she, her mother and her siblings were rescued by PAWS from Chicago Animal Care and Control.
PAWS entered the pups after being contacted by Animal Planet. The organizations had worked together during the Puppy Bowl Draft in April and at Woofstock, a festival for pet owners who have adopted animals, in June. Athena and Cooper fit the network’s age, breed and personality requirements.
During the game, which was taped a few months ago in New York, Cooper was a touchdown machine for Team Fluff against Team Ruff, giving him a real shot at MVP (Most Valuable Puppy) honors. Tim Johnson and Michelle Skinner of Hyde Park adopted him in August.
“He’s such a great dog,” Johnson said. “Him being in the Puppy Bowl is just an added bonus.”
While Cooper ran plays on the field, Athena buddied up to the human referee. Although playing on the refs’ emotions might help in the NFL, you’ll have to watch Puppy Bowl XII to see if it helps or hinders Team Fluff.
Her owner, Beth Long of Lincoln Park, said Athena “thought that her flirting might work to get her in the starting lineup.” Alas, she ended up a second stringer.
“We had a couple months together before she became a celebrity puppy,” said Long, who adopted Athena in August. “That made it even cooler to be able to see the little stinker on the big stage in New York City.”
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Although Athena and Cooper are spoken for, PAWS is hosting a Puppy Bowl-inspired adoption event from 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday at its Lincoln Park Adoption Center (1997 N. Clybourn Ave.). For information, visit pawschicago.org.
@ShelbieLBostedt | [email protected]
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