She learned then that the animal adoption agency had submitted an application for Rugby to participate in "Puppy Bowl XII", the nationally televised showdown of Team Fluff and Team Ruff on Super Bowl Sunday on Animal Planet.
“I knew that he had potential to go to the Puppy Bowl the first day I met him,” Barker said. “Needless to say, we were all very excited when we found out he had officially been selected…and was the only dog from Ohio who was selected!”
Barker fostered the terrier mix for a short time before the filming occurred and officially adopted him once shooting was complete, so it was AFHS operations manager Tara Bowser who got to travel to the Big Apple with Rugby in late 2015.
“I don’t know how I got that lucky,” she said. She and her husband packed Rugby in their car on a Thursday morning and made the 10-hour drive to New York.
“He was phenomenal in the car,” Bowser said. “Whether he was sitting on my lap or in the back, he wasn’t squirming or anything.”
The show shooting was a little overwhelming for the young pup, who filmed for six to eight hours that Friday and was interacting with multiple other dogs and handlers all day. But Bowser said once he was there, “he was having a ball.” Once the filming was done, Rugby got one day to tour the city with Bowser, and got to sniff out Central Park, the Trump Tower, and other landmarks before hopping back in the car Sunday morning and returning to Butler County and Barker.
Animal Planet contacted the adoption agency themselves, Bowser said, seeking puppies fitting their requirements. The agency submitted two 19-week-old terrier mix brothers, then named Bert and Ernie, for consideration. By the time Animal Planet made their choice, Bert had been renamed Rugby by a prospective adopter.
As he waits for his big Animal Planet debut on Feb. 7, Barker said Rugby loves to be the center of attention at home, and is a great comforter.
“If you are having a good day, he is there wagging his tail in support. If you are having a bad day, he will come sit in your lap and lick your hand in comfort,” she said.
She wants to use Rugby’s rags to riches story to promote animal rescues.
“He was found wandering the streets but now has turned into a local celebrity,” she said. “I want people to know that they can get amazing and adorable animals from a rescue.”
Rugby will be visiting Animal Friends Humane Society and signing “PAWtographs” on Feb. 6, the day before the big event. In addition to meeting Rugby, anyone interested in adopting a dog that day can do so for just $50 in celebration of Super Bowl 50, according to the animal shelter. Adoption hours are 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
And since the Cincinnati Bengals didn’t make it to the Super Bowl this year, Barker said she is proud to cheer on Team Fluff in the Puppy Bowl instead at her parents’ watch party.
“Super Bowl is taking a back seat to the Puppy Bowl this year,” she said.
This year’s “Puppy Bowl” pregame show, which features analysis and commentary, starts at 2:30 p.m. on Animal Planet. Kickoff is at 3 p.m.
Animal Friends Humane Society is the largest and oldest nonprofit animal adoption agency in Butler County. It is located at 1820 Princeton Road in Hamilton. For more information, call 513-867-5727 or visit animalfriendshs.org.
Staff Writer Lauren Pack contributed to this report.
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