Dogs from Alexandria-Based Rescue Participate in 2026 Puppy Bowl – Northern Virginia Magazine

The Super Bowl is one of the biggest sporting events of the year. But another game day competition steals the show for cuteness. Puppy Bowl XXII airs Sunday, February 8 — and this year, several dogs adopted through NoVA-based rescue Operation Paws for Homes (OPH) are involved. 

The Puppy Bowl is an annual program that dubs itself “the cutest showdown in sports.” Divided into two teams (Ruff and Fluff), 150 dogs from 72 shelters around the world romp around the field. The show also includes special adoption stories, play-by-play commentary by sportscasters Steve Levy and Taylor Rooks, and puppy cheer squads. During the show, viewers can vote for their favorite of the 16 dogs in the starting lineup to earn that dog the title of “Most Pupular.”

OPH, based in Alexandria, is a rescue that partners with shelters in southern states. It places dogs from overcrowded shelters into adoptive homes in Virginia, DC, Maryland, and southern Pennsylvania. OPH doesn’t have a physical facility; it operates through foster homes throughout the region. The group saves around 1,000 dogs per year.  

The rescue group has brought puppies to the Puppy Bowl for 11 years, says OPH puppy event coordinator Irene Skricki. The show is more than just cute — it’s a way to encourage people to adopt dogs from rescues. “It’s a great opportunity to be part of something that helps to raise the profile of rescue and find homes for animals,” Skricki says.  

“There’s a perception — sometimes people think, ‘Oh, well, rescue dogs, they’re damaged somehow. There’s something wrong with them,’” Skricki says. “You can get all kinds of dogs from rescue. They are not broken. They are amazing dogs. And so we want people to know that that’s an option out there.” 

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