Pups from Virginia-Based Rescue Group Appear in 2013 Puppy Bowl

Puppies from Bonnie Blue Rescue in Virginia will be in the national spotlight this weekend, appearing in Animal Planet’s Puppy Bowl IX.

The annual event is a popular Super Bowl Sunday show on Animal Planet featuring puppies playing football, a kitten half-time show, hedgehog cheerleaders and more.

The 2013 Animal Planet Puppy Bowl will be at 3 p.m. Sunday on Animal Planet.

The Baltimore Ravens are playing the San Francisco 49ers in the Super Bowl on Sunday.

[Where to watch Super Bowl XLVII in Arlington.]

Bonnie Blue Rescue is based in Richmond but places animals up and down the East Coast, said the organization's vice president, Patricia Rector.

The group has hubs in Alabama and Connecticut in addition to its Virginia base. Volunteers for Bonnie Blue rescued 387 dogs last year, mostly from high-kill rate shelters. The organization is entirely run by volunteers.

“It’s bringing attention to us and our dogs, and it’s just been a really great thing for us,” Rector said. 

The Bonnie Blue Rescue puppies that will be on television this weekend tackling each other include:

• Althea, an Australian shepherd/Catahoula mix
• Chestnut, a Labrador retriever/Australian shepherd mix (see video of Chestnut in the media player above)
• Pearl, an Australian Catahoula/Labrador retriever mix
• Shadow, a Catahoula/Labrador retriever

All four of those dogs have already been spoken for — Chestnut will be living with an Animal Planet cameraman — but Bonnie Blue Rescue has dozens of other cute pups available now.

You can see the full 2013 Animal Planet Puppy Bowl IX starting line-up here.

Looking for a Pet?

Bonnie Blue Rescue has 20 to 30 dogs available for adoption at any given time. Check the Bonnie Blue Rescue site to see the available dogs. If the dog you want is in Connecticut, Alabama or elsewhere, Bonnie Blue will bring the animal to you.

Also, Patch features pets every week on our Washington-area sites from Mutts Matter Rescue.

And, of course, plenty of cute dogs, cats, rabbits and a variety of other pets are always available at the Animal Welfare League of Arlington.