Move over Puppy Bowl, here comes the World Pup.
LG Channels will launch World Pup, a puppy soccer tournament that will feature puppies from two rescue organizations in the Nutmeg State, the Connecticut Humane Society and Stamford’s Lucky Dog Refuge Inc. according to a news release.
The competition begins on on June 10.
U.S. World Cup veteran Jimmy Conrad will serve as the competition’s “Rufferee,” alongside dog influencers Chili and Lumi who “provide commentary on the action,” according to the release. “The four-part bracket-style puppy takeover tournament delivers adorable matchups, social-ready chaos, and a spotlight on rescue dogs from shelters across the country,” according to the release.
Dogs from the Connecticut Humane Society and Lucky Dog Rescue will compete in LG World Pup. (Courtesy of Jason DeCrow/AP Content Services for LG-Electronics)
The Connecticut Humane Society and Lucky Dog Refuge are among 12 shelters and rescue organizations participating, according to the release. The humane society’s participating puppies are about five months old, said Kathryn Schubert, head of marketing and communications at the society. “They were just so irresistibly cute,” she said. “This was a great opportunity for us to be able to share our mission with a wide national audience and let them know what we’re doing. So we were really excited to be a part of it.”
This is Frida, a rescued dog from Lucky Dog Rescue in Stamford. She will participate in LG Channels World Pup tournament on June 10. (Courtesy of Lucky Dog Rescue, Inc. )
Lucky Dog sent Frida, a six-to-eight month old terrier mix. She was adopted just before the filming in April. “I loved it,” said Kirstin Mende, CEO and co-founder of Lucky Dog. “I come from a European family so we grew up watching soccer.” The organization has participated in “Puppy Bowl” since 2023, she said. “Frida’s story is exactly why these events matter. She began her life as a stray in rural Mississippi and today she’s representing rescue dogs everywhere. If World Pup inspires even one person to choose adoption, then it’s already a win.”
A scene from the new LG World Pup tournament. Dogs from two Connecticut rescue organizations will participate. (Courtesy Jason DeCrow/AP Content Services for LG-Electronics)
The competition, inspired by the World Cup taking place this summer, follows 48 rescue puppies representing eight national teams for the LG Channels World Pup Trophy, according to the release. The tournament is produced by the same team behind Puppy Bowl, Bright Spot Content.
One of the humane society dogs, Dude Droolingham is a Jack Russell- Chihuahua male. The other, Yuna, is a female shih tzu mix, Schubert said. Both have been adopted, she said in a news release. “They were really really cooperative out on the field,” Schubert said. She said the humane society became involved through its “long-standing relationship with Animal Planet for ‘Puppy Bowl,'” she said.
This article originally published at Connecticut rescue puppies to compete in LG Channels’ World Pup tournament.