KANSAS CITY, Mo. — While the beloved Chiefs did not make it to the Super Bowl this year, Kansas Citians could all get behind Bar K’s second annual Puppy Bowl. It was back by popular demand after taking a year off due to COVID-19.
“There are no first downs, there are no second downs, there might be a few turd downs … but ultimately, there's no rules to this game. It’s a lot of fun,” said Jason Snellenberger, Bar K’s programming and events manager.
Pet owners entered their adorable pups onto the gridiron hoping for a Mahomes-style touchdown.
Lucky 13 Rescue was also on-site and brought multiple adoptable dogs for potential owners to meet. The organization says outreach events like the Puppy Bowl help close the accessibility gap and give all dogs the same shot.
“Getting our name out there, getting people to kind of recognize that you don’t need to shop for dogs, you can adopt,” said volunteer Shelby Lilig.
Lucky 13 Rescue says for them, surrenders have increased after quarantine orders lifted, and they simply do not have enough foster families to take in strays. Fortunately, research shows national adoption rates still remain steady.
“These last few years, we’ve taken in more dogs than we’ve ever taken in, and we’ve also adopted out more dogs than we’ve adopted out,” Lilig said.
Despite the team’s hard work, there is always a waiting list of dogs hoping to be accepted into the program. While the Puppy Bowl is all about fun, animal lovers hope it can help raise awareness as well.
“It makes their life. They need a loving home," Lilig said. "They don’t thrive. A lot of these dogs we get from animal control areas where nobody came and picked them up, or they’ve been dumped out in rural areas."
For any adoptions made at a Bar K event, the business will grant the new owner and pup one year of membership.
Lucky 13 Rescue says even for those unable to adopt, they are always looking for foster families.
