Meet The Dog From Ridgefield Participating In Puppy Bowl XXI

RIDGEFIELD, CT — A dog rescued by the Ridgefield Operation Animal Rescue will join the competition for the Lombarky Trophy at this year's Puppy Bowl.

Huxley, an Australian Cattle Dog and American Staffordshire Terrier mix born on May 2024, will join Team Fluff for its pre-Super Bowl match-up against Team Ruff.

The annual three-hour call-to-adoption television event will feature 142 rescue puppies from 80 shelters across 40 states – and two countries – as they compete in what organizers understandably call "the cutest competition of the year."

Huxley, formerly, known as Dr. Pepper, came to ROAR from Georgia with his two brothers in August 2024. He was adopted last September by the Adams family in Ridgefield, who had been mourning the passing of their dog, George, two months earlier.

Mom Jennifer and 16-year-old daughter Carly visited ROAR with a tentative, "wait-and-see" attitude, still uncertain they even wanted to find a dog to fill the void George had left.

Then Carli met Huxley, and any resistance was futile.

"He rolled on his back for her to rub his belly, and that was it. We adopted him that day," Jennifer told Patch.

"What makes Huxley stand out is his sweet personality, and playful and curious nature. He is always ready for a fun adventure, loves to explore his surroundings and make new friends. Whether he’s chasing after a toy, wrestling with other puppy friends, or cuddling up for a nap, Huxley is full of love and joy," ROAR spokesperson Karen King said.

Julep, the first-ever St. Bernard-mix, and Smoosh, the only Pekingese to compete in the games, will head up Team Fluff while Mr. Pickles, a Pug-Chihuahua from Dallas, and Tuani, a Chihuahua-German shepherd from Nicaragua, will look to bring Team Ruff to victory.

New this year for Puppy Bowl XXI will be the addition of eleven inspiring special needs dogs, including Sprinkle, a blind and hearing-impaired Australian shepherd-mix from a rescue in Bethel.

The Puppy Bowl, the original and longest running call-to-adoption television event, will air at 2 p.m. on Feb. 9 on Animal Planet, Discovery, TBS, truTV, Max and Discovery+.