More than 100 dogs from around the country performed in the 22nd Puppy Bowl, which aired Feb. 8, including Mt. Lebanon\u2019s own Carrie Pawshaw. Not only did she bring local representation to a national competition, but Carrie also won bragging rights \u2014 Team Ruff took home the trophy this year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Carrie\u2019s owner, Jacki Hoover, adopted her in August from Paws Across Pittsburgh, a rescue organization that had originally registered Carrie for the event.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhen 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,\u201d Hoover said. \u201cIt was a part of the agreement that if she was selected, we would permit her to go, so of course we agreed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A select number of the Bowl\u2019s applicants are invited to film the show, and though Paws Across Pittsburgh has submitted various dogs in past years, Carrie\u2019s success was a wholesome surprise. The secret to her success is simple \u2014 a strikingly adorable appearance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cShe\u2019s a little stunning-looking,\u201d Hoover said. \u201cShe has really bright blue eyes and a different type of coat. She\u2019s not your average dog.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cCarrie had a great time,\u201d Medina said. \u201cShe was very playful and very well behaved. Her adopters did great with her.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Carrie\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s all through Animal Planet, and \u2014 hold on, stop it,\u201d Hoover said. \u201cSorry, Carrie was chewing on my slippers.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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\u2019 performances is undisclosed until the show airs, and Carrie\u2019s shelter and owners were not allowed to share news of her participation until January.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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 \u201cPupularity Contest,\u201d in which dogs compete in a bracket, and Carrie made it to the second round.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cShe was getting a lot of people\u2019s attention,\u201d Medina said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This year\u2019s 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\u2019s summary of participating dogs, Carrie Pawshaw is listed as a \u201cNorwegian elkhound\/American Eskimo dog mix from Paws Across Pittsburgh, faster than a subway train.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt just gets our name out there,\u201d Armour said. \u201cA lot of people don\u2019t know how many options there are. They don\u2019t know they can rescue or adopt, so doing something like this can be good at showing people what they can do to help.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Interested adopters can learn more about Paws Across Pittsburgh at pawsacrosspittsburgh.com or email the organization\u2019s information line at info@pawsacrosspittsburgh.com. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Carrie Pawshaw represents Paws Across Pittsburgh as Team Ruff claims trophy By Annabelle Thomas<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":36129,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_hide_featured_image":false,"_jetpack_featured_image_duplicate_dismissed":0,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"nfd_image_url":"","nfd_onboarding_generated":"","footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[24,51],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-36202","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-living","category-pets"],"yoast_head":"\n