Introducing the Local Stars of Animal Planet’s Puppy Bowl XIX
ST. PETERSBURG: Two local puppies will make their national television debut next month when they take the field for Animal Planet’s Puppy Bowl XIX. Nancy and Max were rescued by local animal rescue group Compassion Kind of St. Petersburg. Both dogs will play for Team Ruff. Nancy will also serve as a cheerleader for Team Ruff.
The adorable pups were driven to Glen Falls, New York for the show’s taping. Animal Planet’s Puppy Bowl aims to raise awareness of pet adoption by having rescue puppies play and run a mini-gridiron. Nancy and Max were among 122 rescue pups filmed for the Puppy Bowl; from 67 shelters and rescue groups from all over the country.
Animal Planet’s Puppy Bowl XIX will air on Sunday, February 12, from 2-5 pm. Nancy is now a 6-month-old female terrier mix. Her mother was rescued from Puerto Rico from a hoarding case.
Nancy is a small and gentle little pup. She was one of the smallest in the litter and is a sweet, little cuddle bug!
She gave kisses to all the production staff during the taping! Nancy’s new name is “NOVA” and she was adopted by Michelle Merlo of St. Petersburg.
Max was found under a bush in a rural road in Jamaica. He is now around 6 months old. He is a male lab/pointer mix and was a bit camera shy during the taping. He loves to play with his adoptive sister and lay in the sun. His adopters are the family of Jay and Lauralie Benge of Riverview. “Rescue work never stops,” Compassion Kind Founder Aja Estro said. “We are thankful to have been selected for the second year by Animal Planet’s Casting Crew to include some of our rescues in Puppy Bowl XIX. Hopefully we can
continue to raise awareness of our global rescue efforts and equip our non-profit with donations and supplies for whatever this year brings. Our greatest need is a van to continue transporting animals we find and rescue during national disasters like floods, hurricanes, or fires.” To date Compassion Kind has saved more than 8,000 animals. Says Estro, “Our mission is to inspire compassion through global action. We are so grateful for all our dedicated volunteers who work tirelessly to help those in need. We are also thankful to the producers of Animal Planet’s Puppy Bowl for putting together another amazing competition and including Compassion Kind in their casting. We invite you to join us for a Puppy Bowl Watch Party at the Dog Bar in St. Petersburg on game day from 1-5 pm where you can also meet Nancy and Max and get their “pawtographs.”