See Spot run: Photos from a historic Puppy Bowl
Team Fluff fetched the Lombarky Trophy to win the Puppy Bowl on Sunday. The team narrowly snatched a repeat win away from Team Ruff, which tailed by just 2 points for a final score of 68-66.
But it was Team Ruff who earned the Most Valuable Puppy Award. Foxtrot, a border collie who emerged as a clear contender after scoring his second touchdown of the game, earned the honor.
Mercury brought some much-needed levity to the fierce competition. The Great Pyrenees and Maremma Sheepdog mix took home the Underdog Award for being “the chillest dog on the field.” The Pittsburgh native enjoyed the action while comfortably splayed out in the middle of the turf.
Charlotte, a cocker spaniel, deserves a special shoutout for scoring a touchdown and a field goal simultaneously — a historic first for the 21-year tradition — for Team Fluff.
The Puppy Bowl, airing annually on Animal Planet, aims to raise awareness of the millions of pets in the U.S. that need adoption.

Is Edinburgh’s Fringe still fringe, or has it — gasp — gone mainstream?
It began on the edgy margins of a mainstream festival — which it's now eclipsed. But nearly 80 years on, performers and spectators say rising costs threaten the Fringe's alternative vibe.
Library of Congress acquires only known lyrics sketch of ‘Over the Rainbow’
Scrawled in pencil on a scrap of yellow legal paper by lyricist E.Y. "Yip" Harburg, the artifact is among dozens of treasures from The Wizard of Oz donated by composer Harold Arlen's sister-in-law Rita Arlen.
Kilmar Abrego Garcia detained by ICE during Baltimore check-in
The detention, which was expected, happened after Abrego Garcia walked into the Immigration and Customs Enforcement building in Baltimore for a check-in after being released from custody on Friday.
Voters weigh in on Birmingham’s future ahead of city election
Birmingham voters will choose from among nine candidates for mayor in elections Tuesday. When residents around the city were asked to share what is on their minds as they head to the ballot box, two issues rose to the top.
Whatever happened to … the race to cure HIV? There’s promising news
At the International AIDS Society meeting this year, a young woman from South Africa spoke. She is the first Black woman from Africa to be potentially cured of HIV.
These fish may feel pleasure while being groomed by other fish
An experiment with threadfin butterflyfish finds that these fish may experience pleasure while being cleaned by bluestreak cleaner wrasse — suggesting this capacity goes far back in animal evolution.