Meet The Dogs From Stamford Who Are Participating In Puppy Bowl XXI

STAMFORD, CT — Ahead of the Super Bowl on Feb. 9, two rescue dogs from Stamford, Clark and Vivian, will compete for Team Ruff in Puppy Bowl XXI, the annual televised call-to-adoption event that features over 100 rescue puppies from various shelters around the country.

But the road to puppy gridiron glory for Clark and Vivian, who represent Lucky Dog Refuge, the nonprofit animal rescue and shelter based at 36 Pulaski St. in Stamford, was not easy.

"They fought hard to be here, and we fought really hard for them to be here," Lucky Dog Refuge CEO and founder Kirstin Mende told Patch.

Clark, an Australian cattle dog/labrador retriever mix, was found this past summer with his roughly 8-week-old siblings at Animal Control in Morton, Miss., and the dogs were pulled out of the pound by Lucky Dog's area foster.

"They were extremely underweight, anemic, riddled with every type of parasite you could possibly imagine," Mende said.

The dogs were in poor health and without a mother, so they were cared for by the local foster but weren't improving much, and one of Clark's sisters, Taylor, died.

After mustering up enough strength and passing health protocols, however, the dogs were rushed up to Connecticut where they arrived at Lucky Dog Refuge and were eventually nursed back to health by staff members and veterinarian partners.

At just a few days old, Vivian, a bulldog/Boston terrier mix, was found with nine littermates and her mother at an abandoned house, also in Mississippi.

Four of the siblings died, but the remaining five dogs were taken in by Lucky Dog's rescue partners. The puppies and mother became strong enough to come to CT and Lucky Dog Refuge, where their eyes began to light up and their personalities started to shine through.

"At Lucky Dog, we really try to focus on the most dire cases. When we take litters of puppies, it's usually not just the cute puppies who are ready to be adopted. They go through a journey," Mende said.

The dogs were named after Clark Gable and Vivien Leigh, who starred together in "Gone With The Wind."

Mende has been involved with the Avon Theatre and their restoration efforts, so she felt the names were an appropriate nod to cinema history since The Avon was built in 1939, the same year "Gone With The Wind" was released.

Although Lucky Dog Refuge has only been in operation for about five years, this is the third year the rescue has sent puppies to the Puppy Bowl.

In this year's big game, Clark initially sat on the sidelines and took in all the action, occasionally glancing at the camera like Jim Halpert from "The Office," Mende said. But a pep talk from referee Dan Schachner helped get Clark's head in the game.

Vivian, who was one of the younger participants, was shy at first but came out of her shell when she donned a blue tutu and became a cheerleader.

Lucky Dog Refuge will be hosting a Puppy Bowl Watch Party at New York Comedy Club Stamford on Feb. 9 beginning at 2 p.m. Lucky Dog staff member Heather Lindner is helping to organize the event.

"Dog-friendly dogs are welcome, and Clark and Vivian will be there to sign autographs and take pictures," she said. There will also be a raffle, prizes, snacks, drinks available from the bar, and a chance to meet other adoptable dogs.

For more information and to purchase tickets to the watch party, click here.

Fortunately for Clark, Vivian and their littermates, they all have forever homes.

Shortly after filming the Puppy Bowl last October, Clark was adopted by Lucky Dog Refuge staff member Cameron Britt, and Vivian was adopted by the parents of another staff member, Audrey Sharp.

"He's a lot more playful than he used to be, a lot more vocal than he used to be, but he just loves people," Britt said of Clark. "He's been such a great dog. I really lucked out."

The Puppy Bowl will air at 2 p.m. on Feb. 9 on Animal Planet, Discovery, TBS, truTV, Max and Discovery+.

"These are sort of Cinderella tales for these dogs," Mende said. "That's our goal here at Lucky Dog."

For more information on Lucky Dog Refuge and dogs that are currently available for adoption, click here.