Two Southern Colorado dogs featured in Puppy Bowl

(COLORADO SPRINGS) — Two dogs from the Humane Society of the Pikes Peak Region (HSPPR) will be featured in this Sunday’s Puppy Bowl XIX.

“So we were so excited to be able to show the world HSPPR,” HSPPR Vice President of Philanthropy, Kelly Likes, said. “We were getting a lot of attention and I think it’s really great to show off our foster care program and the great animals that you can come and adopt from the shelter.”

Sven and Vivianne are the two four-legged celebrities who made the trip from Southern Colorado to New York for the big game.

“So my husband and I actually ended up driving them, as Sven is much too large to get on a plane,” Likes said. “So we drove from here to upstate New York. It’s about 30 hours roundtrip, of course, stopping a lot for puppy breaks and both of them were 3 to 4 months of age at that point. So lots of ‘potty breaks’ along the way, lots of very late hotel stays.”

*Sven and Vivianne in the car headed to the Puppy Bowl. Courtesy Kelley Likes.*

Each of the dogs featured on the big screen come from Southern Colorado and have unique background stories.

“Sven, actually his mother came into the shelter,” Likes said. “There were five big, giant Great Pyrenees running out in the county and she came in, was pregnant and was sent to our foster program, where she had 13 babies in our foster care program and the amazing foster raised all of them, and so then my family ended up adopting Sven.”

Vivianne was rescued from a construction site before she was brought into HSPPR.

“My husband and I fostered her for a couple of months, and right before we went to spay her, found out she had a heart murmur,” Likes said. “And so we kind of pump the brakes on that spay… Cardiologists checked her out and said she can go to the Puppy Bowl in place safely and has now been adopted by the most amazing family who love her and she’s got lots and lots of cats and other dogs to play with.”

JoLynn Perry described the days after meeting Vivianne, she could not stop thinking of the pup.

“We just kept looking at her picture. We took a couple of pictures and Kelly sent us some from the trip and so we kept showing everybody,” Perry said. “But anyway… it was kind of one of those things, it was subliminal, but we knew it was going to happen.”

Likes described the Puppy Bowl having a full arena where the dogs were able to run around on a full football field.

“So Sven, I’m his mom, so I feel like I can say this, he really just sniffed butts and just walked around the field, so didn’t do a whole lot,” Likes said. “But Vivianne was amazing, and I think she scored eight different touchdowns and is just a phenomenal player. Very in your face, rough and tumble, and I can’t wait for people to see what she does.”

*Sven shows off his smile on Wednesday afternoon at HSPPR*

HSPPR has more than just dogs available for adoption including cats, rabbits, fish, guinea pigs, and hamsters. The organization saw a record number in adoptions last year with many animals finding their fur-ever home.

“We were able to do 13,000 adoptions last year,” Likes said. “So, I think that’s really an incredible number and help so many more people get their pets back or get their pet care that they wouldn’t otherwise get.”

*Sven and Vivianne together. Courtesy of Kelley Likes.*

Perry teared up when she explained what HSPPR means to her.

“It’s a vital part of the community,” Perry said. “It’s caring for people and their pets. I mean, obviously, it’s geared to the animals first, but it’s – there’s no separation.”

Donations help HSPPR continue to serve the Southern Colorado community and you can help support them online.

“I think just something else to know is it takes a lot to care for these animals,” Likes said. “And so we’re always looking for help. We’re always looking for cash donations or in-kind donations that can help us provide what we need to for these animals.”