LOXAHATCHEE — Elizabeth Accomando got a call in May from Animal Planet. The Discovery network TV show wanted to draft another dog from Barky Pines Animal Rescue and Sanctuary for the Puppy Bowl for the second year in a row. That month, however, all the dogs at the shelter were adults and some even were seniors.
The next morning, Palm Beach County Animal Control called her to care for a stray chihuahua it had picked up and that had delivered four pups overnight. Violet was not the first of the four to eat, walk or howl, but her floppy ears and outgoing personality won her a spot in "Team Fluff" for the 21st made-for-TV event.
“She's bossy, but she plays really well with other dogs,” said Accomando, who founded the Loxahatchee animal shelter in 2014 and which placed the two-legged Mr. Bean in the 2024 event. “We knew she would be the best to put on the field with other dogs.”
Violet, who is now 9 months old, will share the spotlight on the big screen on Sunday, Feb. 9, the same day as the Super Bowl.
What is the Puppy Bowl XXI?
The Puppy Bowl is an annual program Animal Planet has presented since 2005 to raise awareness about adopting pets from shelters and rescuing abandoned animals.
This year, the Puppy Bowl will host a record number of four-legged athletes with 142 rescue puppies from 80 shelters across 40 states and two countries. It will be centered on their lives, from their births and rescues to their adoptions and the people behind the shelters that make it all possible.
The event is held in a dog-sized football field stadium measuring 19 feet long by 10 feet wide. The game will feature two opposing sides — Team Ruff and Team Fluff — that will play a game resembling football except there is a human "rufferee" keeping score as the dogs drag football-shaped toys into the end zone for a "puppy touchdown."
This year, there will be 11 dogs with special needs competing.
"It's about raising awareness for rescued animals nationwide," Accomando said. "It showcases 142 puppies, so it's really giving a lot of exposure to all the rescues and all the animals that need homes."
Who is Violet and how is this dog in Puppy Bowl XX?
When Accomando picked up Violet’s family at the county shelter, the pups were only three days old.
She took them to Barky Pines, which takes animals from the county to prevent them from being euthanized and fosters them until they find a forever home. It also offers low-cost veterinarian services.
At first, Accomando didn’t know which of the four pups she would nominate for the Puppy Bowl.
“But as we watched their personalities develop, it became clear that she was the most outgoing of the bunch,” she said. By summer, Violet had been drafted and training season began.
Accomando got her stuffed footballs and Violet dragged them across the shelter, putting them in front of other dogs to play push-and-pull and then racing it back to her bed. "She did it all on her own," Accomando said.
During official practice, however, the "rufferee" sent Violet to the bleachers a couple of times.
“They were a lot bigger than her and she would turn belly up and then growl at the other dogs, so during the Puppy Bowl practice, she actually got thrown off the field instead of them,” Accomando said. “Yeah, that was funny. She has a little personality.”
Loxahatchee rescue find forever home for Violet and saves dogs from being euthanized
After seeing Violet grow into a strong and playful pup for nine months, next week Accomando will see her go to a forever home in Broward County.
Violet will be adopted by a friend of the family who re-homed Mr. Bean. Violet's mother and her three siblings were all adopted last year.
"I'm very happy. I look forward to Violet starting her life," Accomando said. "Of course, we're going to miss her. She's been with us for so long. But that's what we do and then we'll have room to help another one."
The are currently 54 dogs looking to be adopted at Barkey Pines, Accomando said.
She says the shelter has received a record number of dogs and farm animals over the last two years and Accomando and her staff need the help of the community to find them a forever, loving home .
"We are overwhelmed," Accomando said. "So anything we can do to raise awareness of adoption is critical. We want everybody to come adopt from us."