The all-dog precursor to the Super Bowl was in its 20th year. The contest featured 131 dogs from 36 states and 73 shelters. All dogs, including six with special needs, have been adopted. In a first, this year's participants included a dog from the U.S. Virgin Islands, a chow chow/American Staffordshire terrier named. Other firsts included the all-time smallest participant, Sweetpea, who weighed in at just 1.7 pounds, and the all-time largest participants, 72-pound Greyhound Levi.

Familiar faces included longtime referee Dan Schachner, who this year had an assistant referee in the form of a puppy named Whistle, and the kitty cheerleaders, who performed at halftime.

The Puppy Bowl is an annual precursor to the Super Bowl, professional football's championship game. Winning that contest this year were the Kansas City Chiefs, defeating the San Francisco 25–22, in overtime.