When is the 2017 Puppy Bowl? What Channel Is It On?

If you are not a huge fan of the Super Bowl, you may want to check out the adorable spin-off, the Puppy Bowl instead. Below, find all your burning Puppy Bowl questions answered such as, “When exactly is the Puppy Bowl?”

When Is The Puppy Bowl?

The Puppy Bowl will air a few hours before the Falcons vs. Patriots game. You can see it on Animal Channel at 3 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 5.

This year, “Team Ruff” and “Team Fluff” will take the field, competing for the Petco “Lombarky” trophy. 39 puppies will compete, recruited from 34 different animal shelters across 22 states. This year’s group includes some pups with special needs, including Doobert, who’s deaf; Lucky, who has three legs; and Winston, who is hearing and sight impaired.

The rules of the Puppy Bowl aren’t too strict, and are loosely based on existing football rules. If a puppy drags one of the multiple on-field chew toys across the finish line (on either side), that’s a touchdown.

The Puppy Bowl mimics the real thing perfectly, even down to the entertainment during half-time. The half-time show will a feline “musical group”, Chicago Rock Cats with Kitty Gaga.

Other than being entertaining, the Puppy Bowl actually helps homeless puppies. “Animal Planet does a really nice job of building awareness of shelter animals all across the country. It really helps us with donations and support,” Lewis Checchi, CEO of Morris Animal Refuge said.

Check out last year’s highlight reel: