Chicago's Emmylou Ready For Puppy Bowl Super Sunday Spotlight

CHICAGO — Tracy Elliott swore he would never adopt a puppy, let alone two. But the second he saw a lovable Australian cattle dog-Chihuahua mix come into the Anti-Cruelty Society shelter last summer, it proved to be love at first sight.

Elliott — the Chicago-based shelter’s president and CEO — has always been a self-admitted dog freak. So, it isn't shocking that he has always preferred the annual Puppy Bowl to the NFL’s championship game counterpart. But on Sunday, Emmylou, the eight-month pup Elliott adopted last August, will step onto a national stage as a participant in the Animal Planet competition, which has amped up Elliott’s interest level from fan to a proud Puppy Bowl parent.

The Puppy Bowl XVIII airs on Animal Planet and Discovery+ at 1 p.m. and Emmylou, named after musician Emmylou Harris, has been assured a spot in the pre-taped game, although to what extent she contributes to Team Ruff's championship chances her owner is not sure.

The game results are kept mostly a secret, Elliott said Tuesday, but he has it on good authority that the Anti-Cruelty Society’s entry in the game scored three touchdowns and also tallied a field goal for her team. Elliott is hoping that Emmylou plays her way into MVP consideration, which is just all part of the allure of the event.

“They stretch the (Super Bowl) metaphor to absurd extremes, but with puppies, you can’t not think it’s cute,” Elliott told Patch on Tuesday. “It’s just cuteness overload.”

Elliott said when representatives from the Puppy Bowl saw Emmylou, they knew she was the dog they wanted to represent the Anti-Cruelty Society. That much was evident the first time Elliott watched Emmylou interact with his other puppy that he adopted before the celebrity pup came along.

“She’s just so pretty,” Elliott said of Emmylou's appeal. “Then when you got to know her personality, she’s just such a lover. She’s happy and bouncy and just loves everyone. She’s not scared of anything and loves to play with dogs. She loves people and has to meet everybody.”

In short, she was perfect for the Puppy Bowl — and, it turns out, for Elliott.

Elliott watched as two of his older dogs died during the pandemic 10 weeks apart from one another. Elliott’s staff at the shelter convinced him to foster a little dachshund who became immediately attached to Elliott during a time when the two spent months together inside Elliott’s apartment.

Then came Emmylou.

“As soon as I saw her, I said, ‘that’s the most beautiful puppy I’ve ever seen,’” Elliott said. "She's just gorgeous, and she has gotten prettier as she has gotten older."

The Puppy Bowl features that have been rescued or brought to shelters for adoption. Sunday marks the second time the Anti-Cruelty Society has had a participant. Elliott said that the annual event is key because it highlights the need for dogs to find homes while also sending the message that shelter dogs are not defective just because they have been brought to a shelter for adoption.

“People have this idea that all shelter dogs have behavior problems and that there is some reason they are at a shelter that’s not their fault,” he said. “When you watch those puppies running around in the Puppy Bowl, they’re all great little dogs, and it helps to dispel that myth that shelter dogs are somehow broken or defective.

“Ninety-nine percent of the dogs we get in here are perfectly fine. They’re just homeless for one reason or another.”

The Anti-Cruelty Society currently has 61 dogs sheltered who are either up for adoption or who will be soon. The shelter’s website operates in real-time, which allows potential pet parents to see what animals are currently available. The shelter has an ongoing promotion, with the adoption rate for any dog weighing more than 40 pounds dropped to $40.

Elliott plans to watch Sunday’s Puppy Bowl at his sister’s home along with his two dogs. The shelter had hoped to host a party, but didn’t want to risk it due to the pandemic and caseload of omicron cases.

While he knows something of Emmylou’s participation level, Elliott admits there will be some level of suspense heading into Sunday’s game.

“I’m glad we don’t know (the results),” he said. “It’s going to make it exciting to watch and look for her and see if she’s in contention for MVP.”