There's plenty to be excited about with Super Bowl Sunday this weekend, but also know many are also looking forward to Puppy Bowl Sunday! This year marks the 16th Puppy Bowl, pitting teams Fluff and Ruff against each other in a cutthroat game that brings all the action and even more cuteness! Pups come from shelters all over the country to highlight the need to adopt, not shop.
A number of the players in Puppy Bowl XVI are from Texas shelters, so if you’re planning to watch, keep an eye out for these cuties repping the Lone Star State.
Candy
Candy is part of the starting lineup for Team Ruff. The 16-week-old Old English Sheepdog and Boxer mix comes from Texas Old English Sheepdog Rescue. Despite her name, Candy prefers salty snacks to sweet ones.
Lucca
Sometimes, big things come in small packages, and that’s certainly the case for Lucca, a 20-week-old Miniature Pinscher and Chihuahua mix. Lucca is a starter for Team Fluff and comes from Texas Chihuahua Rescue. Fun fact: his favorite show is Fur-ever Home.
Papaya
Papaya, a 17-week-old Labrador Retriever and Border Collie mix, is another Texan to watch out for in Puppy Bowl XVI. She will start for Team Fluff, comes from the Houston Shaggy Dog Rescue and refers to herself as “a dish best served raw.”
Strudel
Team Ruff has another Texan in Strudel, an 18-week-old Miniature Pinscher and Toy Poodle mix. She hails from Citizens for Animal Protection in Texas and thought the phrase was “the strudel is real.”
Jora
Jora, a 15-week-old Chihuahua and Miniature Schnauzer mix, is one of the backup pups. Coming from Houston Pets Alive!, Jora will play for Team Fluff in Puppy Bowl XVI, so make sure to keep an eye out for her!
Pearl
Pearl might already know fellow teammate Strudel, as they both came from Citizens for Animal Protection in Texas. A Standard Bull Terrier, Cocker Spaniel, Shih Tzue and Dachshund mix, 14-week-old Pearl is one of the backup pups for Team Ruff in Puppy Bowl XVI.
If you can’t get enough of cute puppies playing football, you can watch these puppers train during Animal Planet’s "Training Camp Confidential" at 7 a.m. Animal Planet is also airing "Where are They Now?" at 9 a.m., "Dog Bowl III" at 12 p.m. and "The Puppy Bowl Pregame Show" at 1 p.m.