First-Ever STANLEY PUP Helps Dogs Find Homes Amid Stanley Cup Playoffs
By Movieguide® Contributor
The 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs is hosting its first STANLEY PUP competition to help rescue dogs find homes.
“Partnering with the nonprofit organization Petco Love, the friendly competition will feature adoptable rescue dogs. All 32 NHL teams will be represented by a four-legged friend, many of whom will be available for adoption from a shelter or rescue group in their respective city,” Deadline reported.
The show will include 16 different dogs representing the teams that qualified for the playoffs as they display their puppy skills and compete against one another in a friendly match.
“At the NHL, we love supporting great causes and the opportunity to produce a program that finds homes for rescue dogs is so fulfilling,” NHL Chief Content Officer, Steve Mayer, said. “The show promises to be great fun and we can’t wait for our participating puppies Nathan McKibble, Joe Pawvelski, Alexander O-fetch-kin and many more to hit our STANLEY PUP rink.”
“I’m so proud to launch this canine sporting spectacular with the NHL, and so grateful for their passion in supporting adoption. The show is sure to be the biggest night of the year for dog-loving hockey fans,” Michael Levitt, producer and animal advocate, added. “The cuteness overload is going to be off the charts! I can’t wait to show viewers how special rescue dogs are and how profoundly they enhance our lives when we welcome them into our families.”
Petco Love President Susanne Kogut is just as excited.
“We are honored that the NHL will spotlight these all-star pups,” she expressed. “Everyone can be a champion in the life of a pet. When you adopt a pet from your local shelter, everyone wins!”
The broadcast will also feature entertainers Miranda Lambert, Mickey Guyton and Kristin Chenoweth
“Lambert is well-known for her love and advocacy for animals through her work launching the MuttNation Foundation, which she and her mother, Bev, launched in 2009. The donation-supported 501c(3) nonprofit organization has raised nearly $10 million to support its mission to promote the adoption of shelter pets…Chenoweth has also been an official spokesperson with the organization Remember Me Thursday, which advocates for pet adoption,” Billboard reported.
The STANLEY PUP will be televised via the NHL Network and ESPN+ at 8 p.m. ET on June 7.
The Great American Family network hosts a similar event called the GREAT AMERICAN RESCUE BOWL. Movieguide® reported:
Great American Family has just shared a first look at the adorable animals that will compete in this year’s GREAT AMERICAN RESCUE BOWL.
The program, put together in partnership with North Shore Animal League America, will feature kittens and puppies who are in need of homes.
The North Shore Animal League America is “a pioneer of the no-kill movement” and “continues to lead the way with the development of national and international programs that increase adoptions and raise awareness about the plight of homeless animals,” per its website.
TV Insider shared the cute trading cards GAF has put together to show off the competing animal teams — The Adorables and The Cuddlers.
