Enthusiasts across the U.S. are gearing up for the spectacle of the season taking place this weekend. Of course, I’m talking about the Puppy Bowl, an event that promotes animal adoption by showing adoptable pups “playing” a football game inside a model stadium. Year after year, the Puppy Bowl, which airs on Animal Planet, highlights pet adoption by putting dogs from shelters and rescue organizations in the spotlight. (Coverage of this year’s Puppy Bowl begins at 1 p.m. Eastern Time on Feb. 11, a few hours before that other big game.)
This year, one of the puppies our Animal Rescue Team saved from an alleged cruelty case is being featured. His name is Ollie.
Ollie was rescued by our team along with more than 100 other dogs from a breeding operation in May 2023. Conditions on the property were as filthy as they were bleak: Our responders reported seeing dogs wading into a murky green puddle to try to quench their thirst. Some dogs were severely emaciated and needed veterinary care for heartworm and other parasites. In-depth exams revealed BB gun pellets embedded in the skin of several dogs. Pregnant mother dogs and puppies ranging from days to weeks old roamed throughout the property. One of these puppies was Ollie.
