4 Pittsburgh Pooches To 'Play' In Puppy Bowl XXI

PITTSBURGH, PA — Four puppies from Pittsburgh have made the Puppy Bowl XXI final roster.

Paws Across Pittsburgh will be sending pups Sully, Franco and Mercury to this year's iteration of the cutesy Super Bowl alternative. Animal Friends is sending Centaur.

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

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

With more puppies than ever before, Puppy Bowl XXI will highlight their journeys from birth to adoption, as well as the tremendous dedication of the rescues and shelters that help find animals their forever homes.

"Animal Planet's Puppy Bowl serves as an annual pop culture programming event that continues to expand in reach, awareness and of course, puppies, every year," Howard Lee, Chief Creative Officer of U.S. Networks and President of Discovery Networks, said. "Win or lose, Puppy Bowl XXI will have the cutest players in the game on Sunday, February 9 and will inspire families across the country to adopt a new furry friend."

Sullly, Centaur and Mercury will play for Team Fluff. Franco will play for Team Ruff.

The two teams will go head-to-head on the gridiron in hopes of bringing home the Walmart "Lombarky" trophy and see which puppy player has what it takes to be named the MVP (Most Valuable Puppy) and win the Subaru of America Inc. Underdog Award.

One pup who displays "super" abilities will be presented with the Krypto Super Play award.

Audiences can catch a special sneak peek of "Superman" within Puppy Bowl before its theatrical release on July 11. During the game, writer and director James Gunn will deliver a special message with his dog Ozu, who serves as the inspiration for the character Krypto in the upcoming flick.

Fan-favorite returning elements include the "Adoptables" segments featuring puppies and a few kittens - that will be available for adoption during the game, sportscasters Steve Levy and Taylor Rooks providing play-by-play commentary, the Wisdom Panel pet DNA test results to help provide insights into each player’s breed mix and other unique traits.