Introducing the starting lineup of this year’s Puppy Bowl through the music of Super Bowl LVIII’s real MVP, Taylor Swift.
BY SEAN ZUCKER
FEBRUARY 7, 2024

Forget The Masters, the Puppy Bowl is truly a tradition unlike any other (if you didn’t get the golf reference, it’s fine, and we can move on). Operating as counterprogramming to the Super Bowl, the Puppy Bowl features a collection of shelter pups cuddling it out to raise awareness of animal adoption and help find them homes. 
This year will see the 20th presentation of the game on Animal Planet and includes a record-breaking 131 puppies from 73 rescue organizations. Unlike its NFL counterpart, which will end with either the San Francisco 49ers or Kansas City Chiefs (and countless Swifties as a result) feeling devastated, there are no real losers in the Puppy Bowl due to its 100 percent adoption rate.
But there is still one throughline between the respective battles for the Lombardi and “Lombarky” trophies: the knowledge that the true star of the weekend this year is Taylor Swift. If you’re unconvinced of the connection, longtime Puppy Bowl referee Dan Schachner will be officiating his 13th game — Tay’s favorite number, of course. 
Despite performing at the Tokyo Dome in Japan each of the three nights prior, all signs point to Swift making an appearance at Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas to support her boyfriend, Travis Kelce. Sure, that’s traditionally a 12-hour flight, but think of this as her opportunity to live out the plot of Trains, Planes, and Automobiles. (Only Taylor’s version would more accurately be titled Private Planes and Advanced Security Clearances.)
So, while that timeline rules out the pop icon from dropping in on the Puppy Bowl, especially considering that it’s prerecorded (sorry!), her presence will still be felt, if we have anything to say about it. Below, 11 pups from Team Ruff and 11 from Team Fluff — starting lineups, if you will — introduced through the music of Taylor Swift. 
Team Ruff

Rebekah
Lucky Dog Refuge (Stamford, CT) — “The Last Great American Dynasty”
Judging by the spelling, I’m going to assume this pup was also inspired by the life of American socialite Rebekah Harkness, who is the subject of the above folklore song and whose former residence Swift has owned since 2013. Look for this Rebekah to ride up “the afternoon train” into the end zone this weekend.

STAMFORD — Hours before Taylor Swift — potentially in person — watches her boyfriend play in the Super Bowl, three Stamford puppies with names inspired by her lyrics will appear in the Puppy Bowl.
Inez, Betty and Rebekah will represent Lucky Dog Refuge in Puppy Bowl XX, which is set to air Feb. 11 at 2 p.m. on Animal Planet. 
​The Stamford rescue noted in a press release that the names Inez and Betty came from Swift’s song “betty.” Swift mentions the name Rebekah in another song, “the last great american dynasty.”
All three puppies have been adopted since the filming for the Puppy Bowl took place — and two have new names.
Lucky Dog Refuge plans to hold a watch party at Third Place by Half Full Brewery on Feb. 11. The star trio will be in attendance, as will adoptable dogs.
In the last Puppy Bowl, Twinkle, a Husky mix, represented Lucky Dog Refuge. Co-founder Maria Mende adopted Twinkle, who now goes by Emma.
More than 100 puppies are on the Puppy Bowl XX roster, including 14 from Connecticut.
After the Puppy Bowl airs, the San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs will go head to head in Super Bowl LVIII. Swift’s boyfriend, Travis Kelce, plays for the Chiefs.
Here is the story of each of this year’s puppies from Stamford:
Rebekah (Poppy)

Rebekah is a German Shepherd-Neapolitan Mastiff mix who played for Team Ruff.
A local rescuer found her in Mississippi when she was a few weeks old, according to Lucky Dog Refuge. People were selling puppies at a gas station, and Rebekah was abandoned after no one bought her.
Lucky Dog Refuge paid for a surgery for Rebekah, who had a fractured femur. After she came to Connecticut and played in the Puppy Bowl, a Stamford family adopted her, naming her Poppy. 
Her family said that Poppy and her adopted sister, fellow Lucky Dog rescue Kiki, love playing together. Poppy is particularly fond of tennis balls, tends to be a little too rough with her toys and prances to her crate when it is time for food.
Inez (Izzy)

Local rescuers took Inez and her sister Betty — who are Australian Cattle Dog-Poodle mixes — out of a pound in Mississippi.
Her Stamford parents adopted her a day after she played for Team Fluff in the Puppy Bowl. 
They described her as happily spoiled and full of energy. She likes to snatch and play with her parents’ socks and makes it known that she wants to play tug-of-war by groaning. She also closely examines new foods before she tries them.
Betty

While her sister was on Team Fluff, Betty was on Team Ruff. 
She was the last of three puppies to be adopted. Her Stamford family, who are Swifties, brought her home in December and kept the name Betty. She has two human siblings who are in their teens.

More than 100 puppies are competing in this weekend's Puppy Bowl.
Of the 14 from Connecticut, three are from Stamford.
"We were hoping to get one, and to get three is just incredible," said Lucky Dog Refuge CEO and co-founder Kirstin Mende.
​Inez, Betty and Rebekah, all adopted from Lucky Dog Refuge, are competing in this Sunday's Puppy Bowl XX.
"It's a dream come true. I couldn't have written a better story for these dogs and I'm so grateful to the people who adopted them because they're giving them the best homes and the best life," said Mende.
Their names are inspired by Taylor Swift lyrics.
Sisters Betty and Inez are Australian Cattle Dog poodle mixes that were rescued from a pound in Mississippi.
Rebekah is a German shepherd mix who was abandoned in Mississippi.
"To go from that to the Puppy Bowl, it's the ultimate Cinderella story," said Mende.
Rebekah and Betty played in the Puppy Bowl for Team Ruff.
Inez played for Team Fluff.
"We're rooting for everyone, we're rooting for adoption," said Mende.
There’s also a watch party at Third Place by Half Full Brewery in Stamford Sunday.
All three dogs will be there.
The Puppy Bowl airs Sunday afternoon at 2 p.m. on Animal Planet.

Three rescue dogs from Stamford will star in Puppy Bowl XX on Feb. 11.
​Richard Kaufman, Patch Staff

STAMFORD, CT — Three rescue dogs from Stamford's Lucky Dog Refuge will soon enter their Puppy Bowl Era.
Rebekah, Inez and Betty, named after characters in some of Taylor Swift's hit songs, will compete for the "Lombarky Trophy" in Puppy Bowl XX. The three-hour program will be simulcast on Animal Planet, Discovery, TBS, truTV, Max and Discovery+ at 2 p.m. Eastern Time on Feb. 11.
The Stamford pooches, which have all been adopted in recent weeks, are among 12 puppies from Connecticut that will be featured in Puppy Bowl XX.
Leading up to the Puppy Bowl and after it airs, Warner Bros Discovery, Animal Planet’s parent, is partnering with Best Friends Animal Society, a leading national animal welfare organization, to help the animals find loving homes.
The organization will match donations to cover adoption fees for their pet lifesaving centers nationwide from Feb. 7-14. To adopt an animal, text PUPPY to 707070 or head to PuppyBowl.com/donate to double your impact or find a shelter near you.
Puppy Bowl organizers say this is the biggest year yet for the Puppy Bowl, which features 131 puppies from 76 shelters and rescue groups in 36 states and territories. Adoption is the ultimate goal of the Puppy Bowl, a raucous competition between Team Ruff and Team Fluff
The all-important “Adoptable Pet” segment features puppies — and a few kittens — from 14 shelters and rescues across the country. They’ll be introduced by country singer Miranda Lambert, whose nonprofit MuttNation will feature a senior dog seeking a forever home.
With the “Lombarky” trophy and MVP (most valuable puppy) award at stake, the program is rife with Super Bowl puns. An Underdog Award will be awarded, too. To celebrate 20 years of the game, four previous Puppy Bowl players return to be inducted into the all-new Puppy Bowl Hall of Fame.
The competition kicks off with the starting lineup for teams. They include Dash, a Pomeranian/pug, and Maggie, a chow chow/American Staffordshire terrier representing the U.S. Virgin Islands for the first time, who are leading Team Fluff.
Inez, who is on Team Fluff, is an Australian Cattle Dog/Poodle mix. She was adopted one day after taping the Puppy Bowl, according to Lucky Dog Refuge, and lives in Stamford.
Inez's sister, Betty, will be on Team Ruff. She stayed a bit longer at Lucky Dog Refuge after coming to Connecticut but found her forever home in December.
Both dogs were pulled from a pound in Mississippi by local rescuers before they came to Connecticut. They're named after characters mentioned in the Swift song "Betty."
"Her name is still Betty — we're big Taylor Swift fans in this house so we couldn't change the name," her family said in a news release from Lucy Dog Refuge.
Rebekah is a German Shepherd/Neopolitan Mastiff mix, and on Team Ruff.
Named after a character mentioned in Swift's "The Last Great American Dynasty," Rebekah, who has since been renamed Poppy by her forever family, was originally found in Mississippi as a puppy just a few weeks after suffering a femoral fracture that needed extensive surgery.
As the game on Feb. 11 progresses, it will be revealed which puppies take home the MVP and Underdog trophies.
Some of the other puppies that will be highlighted include Sweetpea from Bosley’s Place in Smyrna, Georgia, the smallest puppy at 1.7 pounds, and Levi, a 72-pound Great Dane at Green Dogs Unleashed in Troy, Virginia.
Six special needs puppy players will also be introduced, including Riddle, a pug terrier who suffers from the neurological condition cerebellar hypoplasia; Mr. Bean, a papillon who only has his two hind legs; and four pups who don’t let their deafness slow them down on the gridiron.
Also, “Pup Close and Personal” segments will share some of the all-star athletes’ backstories. Featured will be Baltimore Ravens’ Ronnie Stanley’s rescue foundation which trains dogs, including hound Linus, to support people with special needs; and Beignet, a New Orleans dachshund, who gets a nose-to-tail makeover before the big game.
Puppy Bowl referee Dan Schachner returns for his 13th year and for the first time, will have a puppy assistant coach, Whistle, who helps him call the plays and fumbles.
Underscoring the 20th anniversary of the Puppy Bowl — and that puppies rule — the producers are making it more adorable by putting pups behind the camera, in the control room and in other poses to show that puppies are in control of the production.
The Puppy Bowl begins with a pregame show at 1 p.m. Eastern Time on Animal Planet that goes behind-the-scenes on the Puppy Bowl draft with exclusive interviews with coaches and players on topics such as how DNA testing helped determine the top players, a preview of the Kitty Halftime Show, and a check-in with Bissell Pet Foundation’s rescue mission.
Audiences can follow the conversation on social media with #PuppyBowl, and follow Animal Planet on Facebook, X, Instagram, and TikTok, as well as Puppy Bowl on Facebook for more updates.

By Evelyn Cordon
Published Jan. 29, 2024, 10:28 a.m. ET

Place your bets! The 2024 Puppy Bowl is just around the corner -- and the game is celebrating its 20th anniversary. The three-hour matchup will see Team Ruff take on Team Fluff compete, which includes 131 dogs from 73 shelters across the country. This year, there will be six dogs with special needs also participating. The annual televised program helps to raise awareness about adopting pets from shelters and rescuing abandoned animals. "Puppies are taking over the show's production by operating the cameras and lighting, directing from the control room, stage managing on the studio floor," Warner Bros. Discovery said in a statement. Puppy Bowl XX will be conducted by referee Dan Schachner, who has judged the contest for the last 13 years. The big match -- which is on ahead of Super Bowl LVIII -- airs on Sunday, Feb. 11, on Animal Planet, Discovery, Discovery +, TBS, TruTv and Max at 2 p.m. ET.

BY PJ KENNEDY  JANUARY 25, 2024
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​Lucky Dog Refuge celebrates three of its rescue puppies making a splash in this year’s Puppy Bowl XX on Animal Planet. Rebekah, Inez, and Betty are representing the Stamford-based rescue in the 20th year of the highly-anticipated Puppy Bowl on Sunday, February 11, 2024 at 2PM ET.
The three rescue puppies were destined for the spotlight when they were named after characters in Taylor Swift’s hit songs. Inez and Betty are mentioned in the song “betty” and Rebekah is in “the last great american dynasty.” This was before anyone knew Swift would become football’s biggest cheerleader and make headlines every time she attends one of the Kansas City Chiefs games to support Travis Kelce. We don’t know yet if Kelce or Swift will be at the Super Bowl, but we know these pups will shine in the Puppy Bowl!
Rebekah’s journey is the perfect example of Lucky Dog Refuge’s mission. She was found in Mississippi as a puppy just a few weeks old suffering from a terrible femoral fracture that needed expensive surgery to repair. She now lives with her adopted rescue sister, Kiki, who was also adopted from Lucky Dog Refuge and, coincidentally, also needed surgery for a femoral fracture. Both are living the happy lives they deserve thanks to Lucky Dog Refuge stepping in and covering the medical expenses. This wouldn’t be possible without generous donations to support Lucky Dog Refuge.
Inez (Team Fluff) and Betty (Team Ruff) are sisters who are finding their competitive side as they play on separate teams at the Puppy Bowl. Will Team Ruff or Team Fluff take home the “Lombarky” trophy?
Lucky Dog Refuge will be hosting a Puppy Bowl Watch Party at Third Place by Half Full Brewery on Sunday, February 11, 2024 starting at 2PM ET. Supporters can bring their own dogs to enjoy the game, meet the stars of the show, and meet adoptable dogs as well.
Last year was Lucky Dog Refuge’s debut in the big game, with a husky mix named Twinkle representing the rescue. Twinkle (now named Emma) was adopted by the shelter’s co-founder, Maria Mende, and lives in Darien with her four rescue siblings.
​
Meet the Stars:

Rebekah
Breed: German Shepherd / Neapolitan Mastiff mix | Team Ruff
Rebekah was found in Mississippi by a local rescuer who encountered people selling puppies at a gas station. This little puppy didn’t sell, and they abandoned her there. At just a few weeks old, Rebekah had a fractured femur and needed surgery to put a pin in it. Lucky Dog Refuge stepped in to cover all the medical care she needed to be a happy, healthy puppy. Then she made the journey to Connecticut, starred in the Puppy Bowl, and found her furever home!
Rebekah (now named Poppy) was adopted by a wonderful family in Stamford who had previously adopted another dog named Kiki from Lucky Dog Refuge! The two are nearly identical in appearance and backstories. Kiki was also rescued by LDR after a terrible femoral fracture that needed surgery. Thanks to the donations of LDR supporters, both Kiki and Poppy received the medical care they needed to have the happy, carefree lives they deserve!

by: Courtney Ingalls
Posted: Jan 18, 2024 / 08:45 AM EST
Updated: Jan 19, 2024 / 05:22 AM EST
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HARTFORD, Conn. (WTNH) – The annual Puppy Bowl is celebrating its 20th year and will feature 131 puppies, including 13 from Connecticut!
This popular match-up is the longest-running call-to-adoption television event and will showcase puppies from Team Ruff and Team Fluff as they compete for the “Lombarky” trophy. The event also highlights the work of rescues and shelters across the country.
Puppy Bowl XX will take place on Feb. 11 at 2 p.m. on Animal Planet.
If you plan to watch the feel-good events, here are some local players that you can root for!

​ANDREW DAROSA, STAFF WRITER
Jan. 17, 2024
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Thirteen Connecticut rescue pups will square off to bring their team — Team Ruff or Team Fluff — to victory and have a shot winning the "Lombarky” trophy in the upcoming Puppy Bowl. 
Seven Connecticut shelters will be represented at this year's Puppy Bowl: American Lab Rescue, Connecticut Humane Society, Danbury Animal Welfare Society, Dog Star Rescue, Lucky Dog Refuge, Pack Leaders Refuge of CT and Ridgefield Operation for Animal Rescue, according to a news release. Last year, nine pups from Connecticut made the team.
The Puppy Bowl aims to highlight the efforts of rescue and shelter workers helping animals find new homes, the news release said. Puppy Bowl XX features 131 puppies, and 73 shelters and rescues from 36 states.
Some puppies will be "manning the control room," a bit in the show that will feature pups stationed next to lighting panels and cameras as they "control" them, according to a spokesperson for the Puppy Bowl. Longtime referee Dan Schachner will return this year to mark his thirteenth year overseeing the Puppy Bowl. Schachner will have his own puppy assistant coach on the sidelines. As with previous years, the Kitty Halftime Show will take center stage during intermission.
In celebration of the twentieth Puppy Bowl, four previous Puppy Bowl players will return to the gridiron to be inducted into the new Puppy Bowl Hall of Fame. 
Puppy Bowl XX will take place on Sunday, Feb. 11 at 2 p.m., and will air on Animal Planet, Discovery, TBS, TruTV, discovery + and Max.
Scroll below to see which Connecticut dogs are participating in this year's Puppy Bowl.