”Older age is all the rage” – Dog Bowl and Puppy Bowl Commentator Jill Rappaport.
That’s the slogan for Dog Bowl, the full-grown dog version of the very popular pre-Super Bowl spectacular Puppy Bowl. Both voiced by NBC correspondent and animal advocate Jill Rappaport.
I crossed paths with Rappaport at the 2019 Dog Writers Association of America (DWAA) awards banquet in New York City during the Westminster Dog Show. Rappaport was a keynote speaker regaling DWAA members with stories of successful rescues. While here, she emphasized her mission to get pit bulls, special needs and older dogs adopted.
Guess what? I’ll be back at the annual American Dog Writer’s Association awards dinner in New York City again this year, but more important: Puppy Bowl AND Dog Bowl are happening again this year. And dogs are better than the you-know-what Bowl.
That’s right, I said it. I am not an NFL fan. It’s not football – I’ve enjoyed many CFL (Canadian Football League) games during the past four decades. But the NFL … too many convictions for violence, assault and yes, him.
Forget football, or at least people football. Puppies, dogs and balls, much better.
PUPPY BOWL
The brainchild of Animal Planet, Puppy Bowl features young dogs from pet rescues across the US ‘play’ their own version of football game solely to get them adopted – and it does. All puppies who appear on Puppy Bowl find forever homes thanks to the nation-wide exposure.
This year Puppy Bowl XVI will feature on teams Ruff and Fluff 96 adorable canines, some for the first time from rescues around the world (including Toronto). Jill Rappaport is a Puppy Bowl commentator.
But why stop at puppies?
Rappaport, a contributor to NBC’s nightly news and TODAY show, lists animal rescue as part of her calling; she lives with six rescue dogs and six horses. She launched her “Bow to Wow” segment on the TODAY show on NBC profiling adoptable dogs. It ran for eight years celebrating a 100 percent adoption rate.
DOG BOWL
Rappaport pitched the idea of Dog Bowl to Animal Planet and now Dog Bowl is on for a third year, airing February 1, 2020 at 8 pm EST. Dogs on Team Goldie and Team Oldies range in age from three to 14. Tune in to see which dog takes the ‘senior dog award’ with him to his new home.
“The greatest accomplishment in my career so far,” Rappaport said addressing a room full of DWAA members, “is all the dogs on the show got adopted. Last year, thanks to Dog Bowl, we got 40 requests for a 17-year-old dog dumped because he was ‘too old.’” Fortunately, not everyone agrees. Check out Dog Bowl’s 40-plus beautiful pooches looking for forever homes.
Dog Bowl runs for a third year on Animal Planet, February 1, 2020 at 8 pm EST.
Animal Planet airs Puppy Bowl XVI the following day, February 2, 2020 at 3 pm EST.
Writer bio: Sherri Telenko has been a professional writer for decades and travel writer for the last two. She’s a member of TMAC (Travel Media Association of Canada) and Dog Writers Association of America, and travels almost weekly with her canine companion, Victoria. All written content is original, written by a person, and based on experience and research.
