Dog from Greater Portland shelter to appear in 2022 Puppy Bowl

WESTBROOK, Maine — It's a reminder you likely don't need, but Super Bowl LVI is right around the corner! If you're a New Englander and are still bummed the Patriots won't be playing on Sunday, don't worry — there's another reason for you to turn on your TV.

Lucy is a young husky and Great Pyrenees mix from the Animal Refuge League of Greater Portland. She will be making her debut on the silver screen in the 2022 Puppy Bowl. This program has been running for more than a decade and airs on the day of the big game. Lucy was one of a few dogs chosen out of hundreds of others to film — and last month, her owner found out she had made the starting lineup, playing for Team Fluff. 

"We're super excited to see her in action on the field," Susan Axelrod of Westbrook said. 

Axelrod fostered Lucy before officially adopting her in August. She called Lucy "silly, playful, and enthusiastic" and said it was "love at first sight" when they met.

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"In pops — basically bounds — this beautiful puppy," Axelrod said. "We were sitting on the floor, and she came into our laps, and we just played with her for a few minutes."

Jeana Roth, the director of community engagement at ARLGP., said this is the shelter's fifth year participating in the Puppy Bowl. She said the shelter is also the only one in Maine ever to be a part of the event, calling it a "great honor."

"The Puppy Bowl is a national effort to spotlight animal shelters and rescues and important work that we do from coast to coast," Roth said. 

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Roth said ARLGP was invited to submit two puppies in its care. Her team nominated Lucy and another dog, and the Puppy Bowl chose Lucy. 

"We knew she was playful," said Roth about why ARLGP thought Lucy would be a good fit. "She was affectionate. She was really outgoing and confident."

If you tune into the Puppy Bowl to catch Lucy, there is one detail you might want to keep in mind. Lucy's "stage name" is Emily, since Axelrod ended up renaming her.

"I have lots of friends named Emily, and I couldn't have a dog named Emily," Axelrod said, chuckling. "It seemed too weird."

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Team Fluff will be playing Team Ruff at 2 p.m. on Sunday. You can watch the Puppy Bowl on Animal Planet and the Discovery Plus streaming service.