The “Puppy Bowl I” referee with his arms full of participating “players.” PROVIDED

On Sunday, Feb. 11, the Cape Coral Animal Shelter will be featuring its very own “Puppy Bowl” on social media, but this year, staff is inviting the public to come to the shelter in person and watch the cutest puppies to ever hit the gridiron.

Sadly, shelters like CCAS almost always have puppies that have been abandoned, neglected or unwanted. Staff and volunteers work tirelessly to care for these puppies, making sure they have proper socialization at such a crucial time in their lives. Play time is very important for them, so a fun game of football is the perfect outlet for all that “puppy energy.”

Liz McCauley, executive director of the Cape Coral Animal Shelter explained how the Puppy Bowl came about.

“Last year, CCAS decided to share this fun puppy playtime with the public on social media, and with just a few days of preparation, we launched our very first Puppy Bowl,” she said. “We recorded each segment on Saturday and posted them on Sunday. As we started posting them, people were calling and coming to the shelter to ask if they could watch our Puppy Bowl. We had no idea it would be so popular!”

“Unfortunately, there seems to be an uprise in the number of puppies that are abandoned, unwanted or neglected throughout Florida” said CCAS Board President and founder JoAnn Elardo. “While puppies are, of course, adorable, it’s sad to see when there are just so many dogs in shelters in our state waiting for forever homes. However, these puppies will be spayed/neutered, microchipped and up to date on all vaccines before we send them off to their forever home. That is a great start in life for all of them!”

The Cape Coral Animal Shelter has facilitated free and low cost spay and neuter clinics to encourage everyone to help control the overpopulation of pets in our community and beyond.

The public is invited to come to our shelter at 325 S.W. 2nd Ave., Cape Coral, at 11 a.m. to watch Puppy Bowl I — complete with our star umpire and cheerleaders. While the event is free, donations are always greatly appreciated.