Animal Planet’s Puppy Bowl XXI will feature two area dogs playing for “Team Fluff.” Both puppies’ adoptions were through Operation Paws for Homes, a local organization that has partnered with the Puppy Bowl for more than 10 years. The show will air this Sunday, February 9, at 2 p.m. EST.
Abigail, a labrador retriever mix, now lives with her Forest Hills, Maryland, family. Maya, a Doberman pinscher and American Staffordshire terrier mix, is enjoying life at her new home in Brambleton, Virginia.
Making a Difference
Operation Paws for Homes works to place animals from underserved shelters in North Carolina, Georgia, and Tennessee. Since 2010, the organization has rescued 12,526 dogs and cats. “I personally started volunteering with OPH officially in 2016 after adopting two puppies in the fall of 2015,” says Barbara Reed, a volunteer who also fosters dogs. “It’s been a family affair from day one.”
Reed works with fosters to place puppies in homes until they find their forever homes. “My children have grown up in OPH and learned valuable skills and have gotten puppy kisses from over 250 pups. And have seen what a difference we can make by giving a bit of our time,” she adds.
A Rewarding Experience
OPH’s relationship with the Puppy Bowl has helped them place several puppies, as well as adult dogs, into forever their homes. “It’s a rewarding experience to see a puppy that was pulled from a situation of needing a new chance to strutting their stuff on the big screen in one of the most watched yearly TV events,” Reed says.
Reed’s family has had four dogs over the years chosen to participate in the Puppy Bowl. “One year, we were filming the pre-game segment, and it happened to be a snow day,” she says. “My daughter got to tag along and meet the cast and crew, get photos taken with them in the studio, and see the behind-the-scenes production of the entire pre-game segment.”
Rebecca Goodhart, executive director of OPH, escorted Maya to the Puppy Bowl filming in New York. Goodhart says Maya is as a “sweet, easygoing, and socialized pup who was adopted by an amazing woman.”
“Maya is currently living her best life in Northern Virginia where she goes to doggy daycare and joins her mom for lots of weekend outings,” Goodhart says.
Reed says she is looking forward to watching the Puppy Bowl with fellow OPH volunteers. “Bringing those folks together in one room to watch the Puppy Bowl and celebrate OPH, you leave knowing you are making a difference, one fuzzy face at a time,” she says.
Feature image courtesy Operation Paws for Homes
