Meet The Dog From MD Competing In Puppy Bowl 21

MARYLAND — A special needs rescue pup from Maryland will be competing in Sunday’s Puppy Bowl XXI.

There are numerous dogs from shelters nationwide looking for homes in the Puppy Bowl, the longest-running televised call-to-adoption event airing at 2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT this Sunday. It will be simulcast across Animal Planet, Discovery, TBS, truTV, Max and Discovery+.

The three-hour television event features a record 142 rescue puppies from 60 shelters across 40 states and two countries. This year’s Puppy Bowl will also bring back adoptables segments “featuring puppies — and a few kittens — that will be available for adoption during the game,” Warner Bros. said.

The Maryland pup and his sponsoring shelter is Rocky, Pets with Disabilities, on Team Ruff. An update posted on the shelter's website shows that after Rocky was chosen for the Puppy Bowl, he was adopted. His new family never paid attention to his deformed front legs when meeting Rocky, only his tenacity and zest for life.

"They saw Rocky, not his challenges, and immediately made him a part of their family. This was meant to be. He waited almost a year until that perfect family came for him," the shelter stated on its website.

His family shared that Rocky goes everywhere with his new family and loves to take walks. When he needs a bit to rest, he continues on their walk by riding in his wagon. Their children read to him and the family has been teaching him tricks. His favorite part of his new life, however, is snuggling on the couch with all of his family members.

"He truly is the perfect addition to our family," his new family shared.

Julep, the first-ever St. Bernard-mix from Kentucky, and Smoosh from Florida, the only Pekingese to compete in the games, head Team Fluff. Team Ruff co-leaders are Mr. Pickles, a Pug-Chihuahua from Dallas, and Tuani, a Chihuahua-German shepherd who traveled all the way from Nicaragua.

The two teams will go head-to-head on the gridiron in hopes of bringing home the “Lombarky” trophy and see which puppy player has what it takes to be named the MVP (Most Valuable Puppy) and win the Underdog Award.

The dogs include 11 special needs dogs, including Jolene, an American Pit bull terrier-mix from Ohio competing in a wheelchair, and Sprinkle, a blind and hearing-impaired Australian shepherd-mix from Connecticut.

Audiences can vote for their favorite pup to win the “Popularity Playoffs” by visiting PuppyBowl.com.