Embed from Getty Images
People may make fun of me for not being up on any sports — and by “people” I mean anyone who knows me — but the truth is I’ve had it marked on my calendar for weeks now that this Sunday is Puppy Bowl XX. Ha, so there. Featured in this anniversary-year game will be over 100 pups coming from 73 shelters across 36 states. Returning to referee duties for the 13th year in a row is Dan Schachner, who will have an assistant ref for the first time: his family’s newly adopted poodle mix Whistle. While Whistle is the first dog Schachner has adopted as an adult, he and his brood have been fostering four dogs a year for the past 10 years. They wanted to make sure they did their homework before committing to an adoption. That’s some research period! But it makes it all the more fitting for Schachner to be the host/referee of this great event.

Why he fostered first: “When I first got the job, I was tempted, of course, every year we’re tempted,” the Puppy Bowl ref remembers, “But, I was like, ‘Let me learn.’ There is no better way to learn than through fostering. I remain a staunch advocate for fostering. If you are unsure of what kind of dog to get, if you can handle caring for a dog, or any trepidation, you should 1000% foster.”

The merits of fostering: In his 10 past years of pet fostering, Schachner and his family have helped care for 40 different dogs and have enjoyed the company of each pup. “You’re doing good because you’re making room in the shelter for the next dog. So you’re automatically winning here, and you’re helping the shelter,” he says about the many pros of pet fostering, adding, “Forty different dogs in 10 years has really given me perspective.” Schachner’s family had fostered large, small, special needs, and senior dogs before adopting Whistle. All of the pet care experience left them feeling confident that they would know the pet that was the right fit for them.

Whistle was ‘the one’: When Schachner met Whistle through Phoenix Animal Rescue at an adoption event in Pennsylvania while searching for a puppy to foster as his assistant ref, he had an inkling that the puppy mill rescue dog might become a permanent family member. He brought Whistle home, and after the second night of fostering the dog, Schachner’s family sat together, “and we’re just like, ‘This is the one, right? This is the one.’” Schachner adopted Whistle in December after several months of fostering, during which the puppy received several vet exams for luxating patella, a “fancy way of saying displaced kneecaps,” per the ref. “It’s hard for her to run. She can’t do stairs well because of her kneecaps. It’s something that’s going to require surgery down the line. But so far so good,” Schachner adds.

Whistle gives him legitimacy as Puppy Bowl ref: Animal lovers can expect to see Whistle refereeing most of Puppy Bowl 2024 from Schachner’s arms. He says the spot gives the pup the perfect view to cover the game. “I think a Puppy Bowl assistant ref is probably an idea that’s a long time coming; I’ve always needed a little help on the field. And honestly, having a dog in stripes along on the field helps enhance my authority because the other dogs see me with a dog, and they’re like, ‘Ah, this guy’s cool. I trust this guy,’” Schachner explains.

How Whistle is adapting: “It’s been great,” the ref says of having Whistle as a pet. “It’s been a lot of changes for this little dog. If you think about it, going from the breeder, being surrendered to the rescue, and having the medical issues, and going to Puppy Bowl.” Whistle has handled it all with a cuddly demeanor. “She’s the clingiest, sweetest dog you’ve ever met,” Schachner says.

He keeps up with former fosters on Instagram: Schachner notes that adopting Whistle doesn’t mean the dogs he fostered before were “disappointments.” “They were all awesome, and they were all incredible learning experiences. It’s like Santa Claus doesn’t have his own kids. He has kids around the world. … I get to follow these dogs on Instagram and see their forever lives, these 40 dogs, and it’s just the most fulfilling thing,” he says. The Puppy Bowl referee hopes his enriching experience with pet fostering inspires others to foster and adopt. “Adoption and fostering are the way to go, and I’ll shout it from the rooftops forever that you’ve got to adopt, not shop,” Schachner shares.

[From People]

Fostering is a big-hearted, but also sensible way to get the practical experience of caring for a dog. I just can’t believe Schachner and his family were able to say goodbye to 40 pups!! And speaking of adorable floofs looking for homes, the bowl is this Sunday at 2pm ET and can be streamed on Max, Animal Planet, Discovery, TBS, and TruTV. You can check out the players for Teams Ruff and Fluff and vote in the Pupularity Playoffs until Friday morning. I’ve already selected my MVP from the lineup: a dachshund from New Orleans named Beignet.