The Puppy Bowl is an annual television program on Animal Planet that mimics an American football game similar to the Super Bowl, using puppies. Shown each year on Super Bowl Sunday, the show consists of footage of a batch of puppies at play inside a model stadium, with commentary on their actions. The first Puppy Bowl was shown on February 6, 2005, opposite to Super Bowl XXXIX. The puppies featured in the Puppy Bowl are from shelters. The entire program is designed to raise awareness about adopting pets from shelters and rescuing abandoned animals. Production According to the show's producers, the inspiration for Puppy Bowl as Super Bowl counterprogramming came from the popular Yule Log Christmas program. Several months of planning occur before each show, which is usually shot in October. A veterinarian is on site during the production of Puppy Bowl to ensure animal safety and well-being, and to administer any veterinary medical care which might be needed. Representatives from American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, as well as the shelters which lend their animals to the production, are also on-site as observers to ensure animal welfare standards are maintained. In 2012, an American Humane Association representative was always on-site to ensure that puppies did not become too aggressive and injure one another. According to its associate producer, about 53 hours of videoing are needed to produce a single Puppy Bowl. In 2007, shooting occurred over three days. Roughly 30 staff members were needed in 2008 to produce the show. In 2010, the veterinarian on site said shooting was spread over three days, while in 2015 the videoing occurred in 12-hour blocks over two days. Puppies are given a rest period every 30 minutes, due to the heat from the lights. Forty-six puppies were used in 2008, and about 60 puppies in 2010. The 2011 production occurred in the New York City area in the fall of 2010, using 47 puppies, while the 2012 show featured 58 puppies. The 2013 show (shot at a television studio in west midtown in Manhattan) featured 63 puppies, with 10 on the field at one time. Shooting occurred over two days. The 2014 episode was videoed October 2 to 4, 2013, at the Chelsea Broadcast Center in Manhattan, New York City. A staff of 49 Animal Planet employees and 48 volunteers wrangled the animals, with each puppy assigned a single