More than 100 dogs from around the country performed in the 22nd Puppy Bowl, which aired Feb. 8, including Mt. Lebanon’s own Carrie Pawshaw. Not only did she bring local representation to a national competition, but Carrie also won bragging rights — Team Ruff took home the trophy this year.

Carrie’s owner, Jacki Hoover, adopted her in August from Paws Across Pittsburgh, a rescue organization that had originally registered Carrie for the event.

“When we adopted her, they had told us that they submitted her along with her littermates to the Puppy Bowl, and they thought that she might get in,” Hoover said. “It was a part of the agreement that if she was selected, we would permit her to go, so of course we agreed.”

A select number of the Bowl’s applicants are invited to film the show, and though Paws Across Pittsburgh has submitted various dogs in past years, Carrie’s success was a wholesome surprise. The secret to her success is simple — a strikingly adorable appearance.

“She’s a little stunning-looking,” Hoover said. “She has really bright blue eyes and a different type of coat. She’s not your average dog.”

Though the Puppy Bowl aired nationally on Feb. 8, coinciding with the Super Bowl, it was filmed in September. Carrie was taken to New York by Paws Across Pittsburgh board member Sarah Medina for filming, but her owners were left in suspense until the show was publicized.

“Carrie had a great time,” Medina said. “She was very playful and very well behaved. Her adopters did great with her.”

Carrie’s good looks and playfulness certainly won the hearts of many in New York, and she even made her own appearance in the interview process in typical puppy fashion.

“It’s all through Animal Planet, and — hold on, stop it,” Hoover said. “Sorry, Carrie was chewing on my slippers.”

Filming was staggered so that each dog was in the arena for only a few days, according to Medina, and she and the other handlers were mainly responsible for escorting the dogs to the filming location and waiting for names to be called. Most information about the dogs’ performances is undisclosed until the show airs, and Carrie’s shelter and owners were not allowed to share news of her participation until January.

The Puppy Bowl receives thousands of applications each year, and only around 150 are selected to go to New York. Carrie traveled with Meeko, another dog from Paws Across Pittsburgh that was chosen, though she progressed much further. Along with the show itself, Discovery holds a “Pupularity Contest,” in which dogs compete in a bracket, and Carrie made it to the second round.

“She was getting a lot of people’s attention,” Medina said.

This year’s Bowl included 150 dogs from 72 shelters nationwide, according to The Sportsbook Review. The participating dogs are shown in a miniature football stadium, with the simple goal of moving a chew toy across the field to score a touchdown. In The Sportsbook Review’s summary of participating dogs, Carrie Pawshaw is listed as a “Norwegian elkhound/American Eskimo dog mix from Paws Across Pittsburgh, faster than a subway train.”

Though the lighthearted nature of the game makes it an easy watch, the real goal of the Puppy Bowl is to spread the word about participating shelters and promote dog adoption. Paws Across Pittsburgh is a nonprofit animal rescue that is entirely volunteer-run and foster-based. Representation like Carrie is not just a cute headline, but a meaningful opportunity for the organization to reach broader audiences.

Jackie Armour, president and founder of Paws Across Pittsburgh, emphasized the importance of fun competitions like the Puppy Bowl in raising awareness for dog adoption and helping the foundation.

“It just gets our name out there,” Armour said. “A lot of people don’t know how many options there are. They don’t know they can rescue or adopt, so doing something like this can be good at showing people what they can do to help.”

Interested adopters can learn more about Paws Across Pittsburgh at pawsacrosspittsburgh.com or email the organization’s information line at info@pawsacrosspittsburgh.com.