Meet the 6 pups representing Iowa in this year's 'Puppy Bowl' on Animal Planet
The biggest sports stars playing in a bowl on Super Bowl Sunday are not NFL players, they are puppies.
The 2022 "Puppy Bowl" premieres Sunday on Animal Planet at 1 p.m. and six Iowa dogs from De Soto-based AHeinz57 Pet Rescue and Transport are slated to appear in the big game.
The central Iowa pet rescue made its first appearance during its third year in business after AHeinz57 owner Amy Heinz received a cold call from an Animal Planet producer who found one of her shelter dogs on pet adoption site Petfinder.com.
“It’s been quite the journey from the first time I got that call,” Heinz said.
Glens Falls, not Glendale
The Puppy Bowl, now in its 19th year, marks the Iowa shelter’s 11th appearance on the show. This year’s Super Bowl will kick off at 5:30 p.m. in Glendale, Arizona, but the Puppy Bowl was pre-taped last October in Glens Falls, New York.
Heinz said that this was her first year being absent at filming, but the drive for AHeinz57 members to New York State includes frequent stops for potty breaks, an overnight stay in an Ohio hotel, and a lack of personal breathing room.
“The drive is interesting because it’s two full days of driving because there’s a lot of potty stops along the way,” Heinz said. "We try to get sleep in the hotel, but it doesn’t work. There’s very little sleep that happens in the middle of the trip. You have to have a big sense of humor to go on this trip.”
Heinz added that it can be difficult to get reactions from puppies during the event, which is why she is grateful production members choose a bunch of AHeinz57 dogs to play each year as it creates better odds to appear in the show.
More:Forget the Super Bowl. 5 Iowa puppies will appear in the 'Puppy Bowl' on Animal Planet
How attention from Animal Planet helped AHeinz57
Heinz said media attention from yearly appearances on the show has added to the rescue's success because it helped generate volunteers, donations, and general awareness, especially at the beginning.
“We were, you know, this little, tiny rescue in De Soto, Iowa, and really, that was a key factor in becoming what we are because we got so much media attention,” Heinz added.
It is an incredible experience because the focus of the Puppy Bowl is on spotlighting shelter dogs, she said.
If an AHeinz57 volunteer fosters a puppy and the puppy gets picked to be in the show, that volunteer receives the option to go on the Puppy Bowl trip to New York with the pet rescue.
Meet the AHeinz57 puppy players
This year, AHeinz57 sent six dogs to New York to play in the Puppy Bowl. These Iowa-based pups are ready to play like the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs.
Each of these puppies has an inspiring life story because they are all products of unwanted litters, but one special pup survived a stormy past, according to the animal rescue service.
Blizzard's mom Dairy Queen or "DQ" was confiscated by police in Fort Scott, Kansas, following animal abuse by her owner. During that period of time, DQ delivered her pups including the pit bull mix. The pups were transferred to AHeinz57 after The Fort Scott Animal Control officer reached out to the pet rescue for help.
Apollo
Date of Birth: June 2, 2022
Breed: Newfoundland mix
Blizzard
Date of Birth: June 24, 2022
Breed: Pitbull mix
Echo
Date of Birth: July 10, 2022
Breed: Labrador/Shepherd mix
Hawk
Date of Birth: June 23, 2022
Breed: Blue Heeler mix
Lulu
Date of Birth: June 23, 2022
Breed: Blue Heeler mix
Marshmallow
Date of Birth: May 18, 2022
Breed: Great Pyrenees mix
Were to watch the Puppy Bowl with AHeinz57
AHeinz57 Pet Rescue and Transport will host a Puppy Bowl watch party on Feb. 12 at Paws & Pints.
Location: Paws & Pints; 6218 Willowmere Drive, Des Moines
Hours: noon to 4 p.m.
Jay Stahl is an entertainment reporter at The Des Moines Register. Follow him on Instagram or reach out at jstahl@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: How to watch Iowa puppies in the 2023 'Puppy Bowl' on Animal Planet
