Anything is paw-sible: Smithville puppies to make TV debut at Animal Planet's Puppy Bowl

For the first time, two Smithville puppies will be spotted at Animal Planet’s annual Puppy Bowl, proving that anything is paw-sible.

Puppy Bowl is much like the Super Bowl, but with dozens of adorable, soft puppies from shelters across the country instead of professional athletes.

Wilbur and Cannon, two brothers born in Smithville last June who were taken in by Bastrop-based animal welfare nonprofit Save an Angel, will make their TV debut at the Puppy Bowl on Animal Planet on Feb. 13. It can also be streamed on Discovery Plus.

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Save an Angel rescued Wilbur and Cannon, along with their other brothers and sisters, when they were small enough to fit in someone’s palm. Their litter was born into a home overwhelmed with nearly 20 dogs, said Ashley Miller, the development director of Save an Angel.

In October Miller flew with Wilbur and Cannon from Smithville to New York, where the show is filmed.

“They were super good travelers,” Miller said. “They did a great job … They were troopers. They just hung out in their carrier and rolled around the airport on top of my suitcase.”

Along the way, both puppies received a bit of pupp-arazzi spotlights.

“Everywhere we went, people stopped us to say ‘hi’ and comment on how cute they were,” Miller said.

In the show, Cannon was a player for “Team Ruff,” while his brother Wilbur participated as a cheerleader, wearing a tiny cheerleader’s outfit with tiny pom poms.

“They're both very sweet, playful, affectionate and curious," Miller said. "They love other pups and people."

Save an Angel’s rescue program runs on a foster-based volunteer system, which means that the number of animals the organization helps is based on how many people offer to help.

The program is currently serving five cats and 11 dogs, which includes a litter of seven puppies.

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“Being able to help pups like Cannon and Wilbur overcome a tough start to life and seeing them grow into happy, healthy pups is why we do what we do at Save an Angel," Miller said. "To give pets who need help get that chance, a second change at happily ever after."

Miller said the organization strives to take care of as many animals as it can and get them to loving homes, but their utmost priority is addressing the root of the problem: low spay and neuter rates.

“The long-term solution is approaching it in a proactive way instead of just reacting to the problem,” Miller said.

The program has a low-cost clinic in Bastrop, where pet owners can get their furry friends spayed or neutered, vaccinated and microchipped.

Wilbur and Cannon have found their forever homes and Miller said they will always be part of the Save an Angel family.

“They’re absolutely thriving and are so spoiled and loved,” she said.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Puppy Bowl 2022: Two dogs from Smithville, Texas will make a TV debut