Dan Schachner meant it to be a joke—not his job—as the referee for "Puppy Bowl XXI" or any other faceoffs between Team Ruff and Team Fluff that he’s overseen since 2011. But make no mistake: Schachner takes his role as seriously as anyone responsible for wrangling scores of baby canines in the biggest televised fake football event of the year.
But a man can’t be blamed for taking a few liberties with a story he’s been asked to tell over and over for 14 years, so along the way his story morphed to that of a former pro football referee. “I was always getting the question of, ‘How did you get this job?,’” he told Salon. The real answer is simple. He auditioned.
Five years into the gig, he decided to have some fun with it. Enter the tall tale pitching Schachner as a former NFL ref who was, as he put it, “fired for giving players belly rubs after they scored touchdowns."
Schachner has to break up squabbles between players who are real animals. He monitors touchdowns and calls penalties that require clean-up.
Somewhere the detail changed to him being “soft on the players” and a news outlet reported his faux past as a pro football referee as fact. It still pops up frequently enough for him to be obligated to correct the confusion. “I love the joke because some people hear it and it just kind of washes over them,” he said. “We don't think twice. But I'm not trying to pull the wool over anyone’s eyes. I've never been a real referee.”
That depends on who’s doing the qualifying. Schachner has to break up squabbles between players who are real animals. He monitors touchdowns and calls penalties that require clean-up. Being the human face of the longest-running call-to-adoption TV event that keeps expanding is never dull.
This year, “Puppy Bowl XXI” features 142 rescue dogs from 80 shelters across 40 states and two countries, all of which should be adopted by the time it’s finished airing. The event will also boost Warner Bros. Discovery's Los Angeles wildfire relief fundraising efforts and feature a public service announcement benefiting Best Friends Animal Society
And the adoptable canines aren’t just players. They serve as cheerleaders, coaches and pup-parazzi in the “barking" lot.
As for the game itself, the rules differ from those of human football – how could they not? But the touchdowns are real and unpredictable. So is the outcome: the producers film multiple endings and choose which team wins in the final edit, Schachner told Ad Age, which means that not even he knows the outcome before game day. And the audience invests – emotionally, I can’t speak to the betting part of it – in individual dogs more than rooting for one team more than another in pursuit of the coveted Lombarky Trophy.
Since the “Puppy Bowl” may have more fans at Salon than that other Big Game, we spoke to Schachner about how it all works, its impact and importantly, how he feels about the kitten-centric competition.
“Puppy Bowl” is constantly escalating the number of puppies that are available each year. So what does that do to production in terms of making sure that all the pups get their moment?
Great question, because our numbers have grown and continue to grow year after year, with the goal being to adopt as many of them as possible. I believe it was two years ago or three years ago, for the first time, we had to expand from a two-hour show to a three-hour show, and thank goodness because without that extra hour, we would not have been able to continue to grow. We were really bursting at the seams.
But it is a challenge. . . In past years, when I started, we maybe had 50 on the roster, and we thought that was a lot at the time, but clearly, no, because we've tripled that. But what's allowed us to include so many means that maybe dogs aren't getting as much total screen time as before . . . but hey, we're showcasing that dog and tagging their rescue and giving you an opportunity to connect with that rescue and adopt it. And so it just continues to serve our mission.
Let’s back up, because my understanding was in the past, by the time “Puppy Bowl” aired, most of those dogs were already adopted — which is wonderful. Did that change this year ?
Yeah, there are always dogs up for adoption. When you watch “Puppy Bowl,” it's not the entire 142 because we do record this ahead of time . . . It takes a few days to shoot this three-hour event, and we compress it because, you know, otherwise, you're going to watch puppies literally napping on the sidelines for five minutes during game time. So we cut out all those extra times and compress it into a three-hour special.
But during that time, we can't stop a dog from being adopted. In fact, we want them to be adopted. So what happens is these shelters say, “Hey, we got some dogs, and they're going to be on 'Puppy Bowl.’ Well, that immediately puts them at the top of the pack, because there's a little bit of cred that goes with that. People want to adopt a “Puppy Bowl” dog. Again, we can't stop that, and we don't want to stop that.
By the time it's done airing, yes, a lot of them have been adopted, however, a lot have not. These dogs typically are part of a litter. So what happens is, say you fall in love with Enrique — who is one of our dogs from The Sato Project, one of our favorite rescues in “Puppy Bowl” — Enrique was recently adopted, however, Enrique has siblings who are still in need of a home. So when you connect with that shelter, which is what's so important, they'll say, “Hey, listen, Enrique is gone, but he's got a sister with the same coloring and is just as cute. Let's send you photos.” Or, 'The mom is available,' or “There's a dog that's similar to Enrique.” So what starts is a conversation between potential adopters and the home.
We need your help to stay independent
A few years ago, “Puppy Bowl” started integrating dogs with disabilities. How has that changed the production?
I think this all got kicked off because . . . in “Puppy Bowl XV” something really remarkable happened. We had a dog named Bumble who is sight and hearing impaired win the MVP, the Most Valuable Pup, and rightfully so, because he deserved it. This was not scripted. This nearly blind and deaf dog, during “Puppy Bowl,” scored an inordinate amount of touchdowns. People were tweeting about it. People were excited about it.
. . . We have 11 special needs dogs participating this year. Trio is a three-legged dog; Jolene, I believe, is in a wheelchair. Sprinkle is sight and hearing-impaired. Incredible to watch, because from my vantage point, looking down at all these dogs on the field, except for the wheel of the wheelchair, you would not know that that dog only has three legs, because they just run around. Now, for their own safety, they have extra handlers available. We have the vets and the vet techs paying very close attention. We have put people from animal welfare watching carefully to make sure that everything is done correctly and that they're safe.
It's been great to watch, and I think it's sent the message that yes, special needs dogs can be a little bit more of a challenge but, man, at the end of the day, they're puppies and want to play just like anybody else, and can bring you that happiness.
Belle, Callen and Maya competing in the 2025 Puppy Bowl (Animal Planet / Warner Bros. Discovery)
Do you feel like “Puppy Bowl” has impacted the public’s perception of what dogs are “more” or “less” adoptable?
I think primarily what it's done is that when I started all of this, it wasn't as cool to have a rescue dog — and I'm using the word cool in a glib way. Now to say, “I have a rescue dog,” is a badge of honor. They're excited to tell the dog’s backstory. It humanizes the dog a little bit or makes them feel closer to their community, but it's a beautiful story to tell.
. . .Now, granted, I'm in this world, so I see it more than others, but I don't nearly need to ask anymore. If you adopted, it's almost more of a given.
My own sister-in-law and brother, when it was time for them to adopt, I can say “Puppy Bowl” had a tiny influence here. They adopted three or four years ago, and they said, “We want a black rescue dog because we've seen that they are the hardest to adopt out." And that's what they got, a little black rescue mutt. So I've seen it firsthand in my own family, among people on social media, and within our own dog community here in New York City.
Want a daily wrap-up of all the news and commentary Salon has to offer? Subscribe to our morning newsletter, Crash Course.
I'm a cat owner, and one of the things that I love about “Puppy Bowl” is the increasing intricacy of the Halftime Show featuring kittens. That, and the success of “Puppy Bowl” in general, have inspired many different competitors with the same goals of getting animals adopted. Do you have any thoughts on, say, “Kitten Bowl” in the whole imaginary cats versus dogs conflict?
No. I love it. I think there should be a “Kitten Bowl.” There was a “Kitten Bowl.” I don't think it exists anymore, but I loved it when it was on. [Editor’s note: What was once “Kitten Bowl” ran on Hallmark. It is now called “The Great American Rescue Bowl” and also airs Sunday, Feb. 9 on Great America Family, and includes adoptable kittens, puppies, cats and dogs.]
. . .Our mission is the same: Get them adopted. There's no need for two TV shows that have the same mission to compete. We just want them to be adopted. There should be a Bowl for every animal. There should be a “Fish Bowl.” There should be a “Hamster Bowl.” There should be a “Bird Bowl,” you name it. If there's an animal in need, then by all means. Or let’s do puppy soccer, Puppy Olympics, keep it going. The more the merrier.
You know, there was a “Fish Bowl.”
I know. Nat Geo did it. Super cheap programming, genius idea. Keep it going. It couldn't have cost much to produce. Why would you cancel that? It probably cost three cents.
As someone who watched it, I know exactly. It was boring. You were basically watching an aquarium.
So in that case, you treat it more like the Yule log, right, at Christmas time.
What do you think “Puppy Bowl” offers for people on Super Bowl Sunday?
Well, we started as the Yule log. Somewhere on YouTube, you can watch “Puppy Bowl I.” It is a little like the “Fish Bowl" — dogs just hanging out, walking around, not much editing, very little commentary. It's got that sort of like, “Relax, kick back, and just keep it on in the background” appeal. . . . So what are we now? We're a nice compliment, I think, to the human game. We go hand in hand. A lot of people used to think you have to choose between us. You don't. Also, as people have Super Bowl parties, more and more I'm finding not just in my own circles, but in others, they’re also watching the “Puppy Bowl” for the kids or for grandma or whoever, because it's something that everyone can get behind.
"Puppy Bowl XXI" airs at 2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT on Sunday, Feb. 9 on Animal Planet, Discovery, TBS and truTV, and streams on Max and Discovery+.
Shares