The biggest game on Sunday isn’t between the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers, at least according to Bark Social in Bethesda. The off leash dog-friendly bar is instead gearing up for the faceoff between Team Ruff and Team Fluff at the 20th annual Puppy Bowl.
Bark Social hosts a free puppy bowl watch party and adoption event this Sunday before the Superbowl kickoff. The event runs from 1 to 5 p.m., with puppy adoption lasting until 3 p.m.
Bark Social encourages visitors to bring their own dog companion to the party. All furry companions must register with Bark Social and have vaccinations up to date before attending.
For patrons who don’t have a dog or might need another, Bark Social partners with Lucky Dog Animal Rescue to have dogs available for adoption. Lucky Dog is an animal rescue non-profit based in Arlington, Virginia.
Chris Rubacha, the Bark Social’s Director of Marketing, said this event hopes to spread awareness for local adoption partners and helping their rescues.
“We believe that all dogs deserve homes, we really support getting dogs out of shelters,” Rubacha said in an interview with Montgomery Community Media.
This is the third year the Bethesda location will host the watch party and adoption day. Bark Social’s three other locations (Baltimore, Philadelphia and Alexandria) will also host similar events.
The Bethesda location will also be featured in the Puppy Bowl main broadcast, Rubacha said. They filmed the segment in 2023. While he couldn’t share any details about the special segment, Rubacha did encourage fans of the club to keep an eye out during the broadcast.
The event is free for all first-time patrons of Bark Social. If you have already been to the bar, Bark Social offers $15 day passes, $40 monthly passes and $365 yearly member passes.
If you can’t make it to Bethesda, the Puppy Bowl will be available to watch at 2 p.m. Sunday on Animal Planet, Discovery, Max, truTV, and TBS.
