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2 Local Dogs Compete In This Year's Puppy Bowl

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Team "Ruff" will take on team "Tuff" for Animal Planet's Puppy Bowl XIII, which airs on Sunday, February 5.

The show highlights the importance of animal adoption and responsible pet ownership.

A couple of the four-legged participants are from our area.

Dogs from various shelters in the country play around on the football stadium set as the announcer keeps tabs on all of the action.

Lewis Checchia is the CEO of the Morris Animal Refuge in Center City. It's the shelter's second year in the Puppy Bowl.

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(credit: Anna Rodriguez)

"This year we have two contestants, one was Max, who is a Pit Bull mix and the other one was Choochie, who was a Chihuahua. So Max was in the Puppy Bowl and Choochie was a back up.

Last year, Morris' Leah won MVP of the Puppy Bowl.

"She did a terrific job and more importantly we gained a ton of exposure for animal welfare for Philadelphia and for our shelter, which was very important to us."

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(credit: Anna Rodriguez)

Checchia says Morris is looking for volunteers and foster families too. One of the dogs had 11 puppies on Christmas Day and a home environment would get the pups ready for adoption.

The two local Puppy Bowl contestants have already found their forever homes.

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