Whether you're a football fan or not, we can all agree on one thing: puppies are adorable. And there's no place to see more of them than the most paws-itive game on the gridiron: the Puppy Bowl. Now in its 19th year, Team Ruff faces Team Fluff in what's not just a cute contest but a promotion for pet adoption. The tail-wagging good time features rescues from across the country, including western Connecticut. Five dogs from three local rescues are on the roster, one of which is a rookie--Lucky Dog Refuge in Stamford.
"The Puppy Bowl has been so exciting for us. We are just so thrilled. We didn't even imagine as a new rescue that this was something that would be possible for us," said Lucky Dog Refuge CEO and co-founder Kirstin Mende.
Mende started the rescue in 2020 with a focus on medical cases and dogs that are hard to place. They recently passed 700 adoptions.
Among them, Team Fluff star Twinkle--a Huskie, cattle dog, Alaskan malamute, German Shepherd mix. Originally from Mississippi, she's since been adopted by Mende's mom, who co-founded the rescue. Twinkle now lives in Darien with a pack of siblings, which the competition surely helped prepare her for.
"Twinkle was very excited. It was a huge, huge adventure for her," Mende recalled. "She had a tendency to fall asleep during film time because it was a nice warm room, but she would wake up to get on the field and get playing and even in the holding room outside, she just loved meeting all the other dogs."
Also suiting up for Team Fluff is Stardust, a poodle-Australian shepherd mix with one eye from DAWS in Bethel. Stardust is one of eleven special-needs puppy players in the game this year.
"She was very outgoing while she was at the Puppy Bowl," explained DAWS Shelter Director Katie Mothersele.
DAWS also fields a player for Team Ruff. Dakota is a German shepherd-pit bull mix born in West Virginia who now calls Bethel home.
"She was very shy when she went to the Puppy Bowl, but she had a wonderful time and started to come out of her shell," Mothersele told News 12. "It's a fun experience for us, and we think that it's great to advocate for the animals that are in the shelter environment and remind people, you know, adopt, don't shop."
This was DAWS' fifth year in the canine competition, but it's not the only local veteran in the lineup.
ROAR in Ridgefield is also back with two players. Pauly is a playful black-and-tan hound mix from Georgia on Team Ruff. His Team Fluff competitor is Schnitzel, a husky-boxer mix. He's smart, sweet, happy, and high energy, so it's no surprise he had a ball on the field. He's also still at ROAR, the only local Puppy Bowl dog without a forever home.
Who will win the coveted "Vince Lombarky" trophy? Puppy Bowl XIX airs on Animal Planet, Discovery Channel and TBS from 2-5 p.m. with a one-hour pre-game show beforehand. You can also stream it on HBO Max or Discovery+.
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Kirsten Mende, CEO and co-founder of Stamford’s Lucky Dog Refuge, is no stranger to adopting animals. Having rescued a number of dogs herself, Kristen and her mother, Maria Mende, who is the co-founder and president of the organization, have a soft spot for animals. Maria is personally a fan of Husky mixes, and when the opportunity came to adopt Twinkle, a Husky-Australian Cattle Dog-German Shepherd-Alaskan Malamute mix, the family couldn’t pass it up.

Twinkle is a rescue dog that came from a run-down shelter in Mississippi. Twinkle’s older sister was rescued first and required immediate medical attention. Then, fosters went back to rescue the mother, who surprised them by giving birth to a litter of puppies.

According to Mende, all of the puppies contracted Parvo, a contagious virus that claimed the lives of two of them. Twinkle and her sister, Lunette, survived and were taken up to Connecticut once they healed.

​The annual Animal Planet event announced its lineup featuring Connecticut rescue dogs from five shelters.

​Meet the players in the big game on Super Bowl Sunday (no, the other game).

Bowl season is officially upon us, and the biggest game of the season (for canine enthusiasts) has been set. Puppy Bowl XIX will air on Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 12, at 2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT on Animal Planet, and it will be streamed simultaneously on Discovery+. This year's installment of the game that aims to raise awareness of pet adoption by having rescue puppies chase each other across a mini-gridiron — will boast a record number of furry competitors: 122, who hail from 67 shelters and rescues from all over the country. A pre-show, which airs at 1 p.m., will preview the matchup between Team Ruff and Team Fluff and  offer a first look at the Kitty Halftime Show. Rufferee Dan Schachner will oversee his 12th game, with Steve Levy and Taylor Rooks returning to offer play-by-play commentary. And once again, the event will showcase 11 dogs and three cats that can be be adopted during the game. (The competing puppies will have already found homes, given that Puppy Bowl XIX was filmed in the fall.)  But you didn't click on this gallery for words — let's get to the pictures and see 22 of the players, with the full lineup available at PuppyBowl.com.

​Puppy Bowl 2023 is closer than you think, prepare for the biggest night in canine football by meeting a pack of rescue dogs competing in February's Puppy Bowl on Animal Planet and discovery+

The Puppy Bowl is preparing for its 19th big game!
On Feb. 12, the three-hour Puppy Bowl XIX special will air on Animal Planet — and start streaming on discovery+ — at 2 p.m. EST/11 a.m. PST.
The 2023 Puppy Bowl is set to be bigger than ever, with 122 puppy players from 67 different shelters and rescues making up Team Ruff and Team Fluff. The puppies will take the field to roll, drool, tail wag and tumble for a chance to win the Wayfair "Lombarky" trophy.
Fan favorites are returning to the Puppy Bowl in 2023. Both the Arm & Hammer Slide Kitty Halftime Show and Puppy Bowl referee Dan Schachner will be back for the big game in the new year.
Animal lovers can also look forward to a Puppy Bowl packed with adoptable pets to meet, water-bowl camera shots, and downright precious touchdowns.
In preparation for the 2023 Puppy Bowl, some of the participating players took glamour shots — and PEOPLE has an exclusive first look at the stunning results. Read on to meet a few of the 122 puppies you can see play during the 2023 Puppy Bowl and the rescue that helped them.
To learn more about Puppy Bowl XIX, and meet all of the canine competitors, visit PuppyBowl.com.

​These puppies can't wait to take to the gridiron in the Puppy Bowl Stadium and show off their moves on the field for PUPPY BOWL XIX! Here's the 2023 full player line up from Team Ruff and Team Fluff.

This year, PUPPY BOWL celebrates more puppies, more animal shelters and rescues, and more inspiring adoption stories than ever before.

Will Team Ruff or Team Fluff win the Lombarky trophy? You can watch this feel-good sports competition on Sunday, February 12 at 2p ET on Animal Planet.

STAMFORD — Lucky Dog Refuge opened in the city about two years ago, but a co-founder of the nonprofit rescue said that a fundraiser to be held at Mill River Park will serve as its “formal debut” to the community.
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“Luckypawlooza” is scheduled to take place from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Oct. 15, with live music by the band Blame It On The Dog, food trucks, a beer garden and animals available for adoption.
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“It’s really just about bringing the community together and (raising) awareness about the need for adopt-don’t-shop,” said Lucky Dog co-founder and Darien resident Kirstin Mende.

Fairfield County Bank launches Together #WeWoofWithStyle social media campaign and supports three local animal sheltersFairfield County Bank is excited to announce the launch of a Facebook and Instagram campaign, Together, #WeWoofWithStyle, benefitting three local animal shelters.
The three charities being featured throughout the campaign are Lucky Dog Refuge located in Stamford, CT, PAWS (Pet Animal Welfare Society) located in Norwalk, CT, and ROAR (Ridgefield Operation for Animal Rescue) located in Ridgefield, CT.
Woof With Style creates a space for the community to come together, share a photo of their furry friend, and support local animal shelters. The charity that is tagged the most on Facebook and Instagram will receive a grand prize donation of $3,000 and the runners-up will each receive a $1,000 donation...

The wait is finally over, and the votes have been counted.
We are excited to announce Fairfield County Bank’s Woof With Style Winner!
First, we want to thank Lucky Dog Refuge CT, PAWS - Pet Animal Welfare Society of Norwalk, Connecticut, and Ridgefield Operation for Animal Rescue - ROAR for making Woof With Style possible.
We would also like to thank everyone who participated and voted for the animal shelter they wished to win.
It gave us great excitement to see our community come together to support these amazing organizations.
You are all winners to us, and we cannot thank you enough for supporting our furry friends!
Congratulations to Lucky Dog Refuge CT, the winner of Woof With Style on receiving not only the most votes, but a $3,000 donation from Fairfield County Bank! Our runners-up, PAWS and ROAR both received a $1,000 donation.
Congratulations and thank you for Woofing With Style!
Together, #WeWoofWithStyle
Together, #WeAreFairfieldCounty