EVERYONE loves puppies, and that is the point of Animal Planet’s annual event – The Puppy Bowl. In 2021, Deaf Dogs Rock’s very own puppy Marshall was selected to play in Puppy Bowl XVII – and he ended up stealing the spotlight!
The annual Puppy Bowl does a wonderful job of highlighting rescues that work tirelessly to help dogs in need. Marshall started his journey with our partner rescue Green Dogs Unleashed. At 12 weeks old he was in need of a home and Deaf Dogs Rock sponsored him in to GDU. They facilitated him playing in the Puppy Bowl, and by that time we (Chris and Christina) at Deaf Dogs Rock had fallen in love with Marshall and decided to adopt him in to our own family – officially giving the title “Director of Cuteness” for DDR.
Here is a wonderful video Animal Planet put together showing Marshall’s road to the Puppy Bowl.
Marsall Wins The Pupularity Playoffs!
As the excitement for game day built, Animal Planet held a Pupularity contest among the 16 dogs in the starting lineup. Being deaf, and a Boston Terrier, Marshall had a built in large fan base and thanks to the help of many sharing the voting, over the next four weeks Marshall won round after round. And, when all was done he WON THE PUPULARITY PLAYOFFS!
Marshall Selected Most Valuable Puppy (MVP) for Puppy Bowl XVII
Marshall LOVES to play, loves every dog he meets, and loves his toys, a PERFECT recipe for Puppy Bowl success. What was incredibly exciting is that in the first few minutes of play Marshall scored the first-ever double touchdown in Puppy Bowl history.
Based on this, Marshall was immediately nominated for MVP, and when the dust had settled on furious voting on Twitter, Marshall was chosen by fans for the honor of MVP.
On Dicovery.com, check out the announcement Meet Marshall! Puppy Bowl XVII MVP and Pupularity Playoffs Winner
A Spotlight on Deaf and other Special Needs Dogs
In the weeks leading up to Puppy Bowl XVII a media blitz of sorts developed over Marshall playing in the Puppy Bowl. This was the feel-good story that EVERYONE was looking for. At Deaf Dogs Rock we are particularly grateful for the awareness that these media stories bring to our organization, and therefore deaf dogs everywhere!
Some of the written pieces were very nicely done – a few are linked below – check them out!
- The Roanoker – Local Pup Competes in Puppy Bowl
- The Well-Trained Dog – Salem Dog takes Center Sage in the Annual Puppy Bowl
- Roanoke College – Professor’s Adopted Puppy in Animal Planet’s Puppy Bowl
Additionally, two news stations visited Deaf Dogs Rock Headquarters to meet Marshall and share his story, view the videos below.
What a great time we all had! Marshall has settled in and relaxed with his new-found fame…
