Cape Coral Animal Shelter to host Puppy Bowl 3 ahead of big game

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Cape Coral
CREDIT: Cape Coral Animal Shelter

Ahead of the big game on Sunday, Cape Coral Animal Shelter will be featuring its very own Puppy Bowl III.

The shelter is inviting the public to come and watch “the cutest puppies to ever hit the gridiron.”

The event starts at 11 a.m. and will feature CCAS’s star umpire, Tom Ellegood, and the CCAS Cheerleaders.

In a press release, the shelter said, “Sadly, shelters like CCAS almost always have puppies that have been abandoned, neglected or unwanted. Staff and volunteers work tirelessly to care for these puppies, making sure they have proper socialization at such a crucial time in their lives. Playtime is very important for them, so a fun game of football is the perfect outlet for all that ‘puppy energy.'”

Liz McCauley, executive director of the shelter, explained how Puppy Bowl III came about.

“Our Puppy Bowl started in 2023 when we decided to share this fun puppy playtime with the public on social media, and with just a few days of preparation, we launched our very first Puppy Bowl I. We recorded each segment on Saturday and posted them on Sunday. As we started posting them, people were calling and coming to the shelter to ask if they could watch our Puppy Bowl in person. We had no idea it would be so popular, so now we just do it on Sunday so folks can watch,” McCauley said.

CCAS Board President and Founder JoAnn Elardo talked about the rise in unwanted puppies in Florida.

“Unfortunately, there seems to be an uprise in the number of puppies that are abandoned, unwanted or neglected throughout Florida. While puppies are, of course, adorable, it’s sad to see when there are just so many dogs in shelters in our state waiting for forever homes. However, these puppies will be spayed/neutered, microchipped and up to date on all vaccines before we send them off to their forever home. That is a great start in life for all of them.”

The Cape Coral Animal Shelter provides free or low-cost spay and neuter services to encourage everyone to help control the overpopulation of pets in the community and beyond.

While the event is free, the shelter said that donations are appreciated.

The shelter is located at 325 SW 2nd Avenue in Cape Coral.

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