Dogs from Philly-area shelters, including Saquon Barky, to compete in Puppy Bowl

Humans playing football? It's a little expected at this point. But dogs on the field? That's a novelty that hasn't worn off, even after 21 years of Puppy Bowl.

Animal Planet's annual competition returns Sunday, Feb. 9 with 142 four-legged athletes. To promote pet adoption, the network drafts all of its puppies from shelters in the U.S. — and a few from the Philly region made the cut.

Learn more about the players from Providence Animal Center, Brandywine Valley SPCA and Phoenix Animal Rescue below. They'll make their TV debut at 2 p.m. on Animal Planet, Discovery, TBS, truTV, Max and discovery+. Don't forget to watch the kitten half-time show, either; about a dozen cats from Brandywine Valley SPCA are part of the afternoon's entertainment:

Winston

Breed: Newfoundland
Shelter: Phoenix Animal Rescue
Team: Fluff
Fun Facts: Winston came to the Chester Springs shelter from a puppy mill in Lancaster. He is one of 11 special needs dogs competing in the Puppy Bowl; he is blind in one eye. Weighing roughly 100 pounds, he's sure to make a formidable linebacker. His family shared that he is a good boy who is working on his manners. He now goes by Wilson.

Doodle

Breed: Bernese Mountain Dog/Australian Shepherd
Shelter: Providence Animal Shelter
Team: Fluff
Fun facts: Doodle's mom rejected him and his siblings at birth, which is how he wound up at a rescue. After graduating from Providence Animal Shelter's bottle baby program — called TLC, or tiny little in care — he found his family. They live in Boston, but swear Doodle (now, Charlie) will always be an Eagles fan.

Mindy

Breed: Dachshund/Wire Fox Terrier
Shelter: Brandywine Valley SPCA
Team: Ruff
Fun Facts: Along with Winston, Mindy is repping special needs puppies from the Philadelphia area. She is visually impaired and, as her shelter attests, "a tiny little sweetie."

Paralee

Breed: Mini Labradoodle
Shelter: Phoenix Animal Rescue
Team: Ruff
Fun Facts: Like her pal Winston, Paralee was rescued from a puppy mill. She was later adopted by a volunteer at Phoenix Animal Rescue, who renamed her Lily.

Saquon Barky

Breed: Bernese Mountain Dog/Australian Shepherd
Shelter: Providence Animal Center
Team: Ruff
Fun Facts: This pup goes by many aliases, the latest being Nemo. (He was Milo during his stay at Providence Animal Center.) Saquon Barky is Doodle's sibling and another proud alum of the TLC program. He now lives with an older dog and a grumpy cat a few towns over from the shelter. He's also an Instagram star.

Erika

Breed: American Pit Bull Terrier/American Staffordshire Terrier
Shelter: Brandywine Valley SPCA
Team: Ruff
Fun Facts: Erika is now 7 months old and has been adopted.