Three Middle Tennessee puppies participated in Animal Planet's Puppy Bowl, including Tucker, an Australian Shepard mix, who came to the Williamson County Animal Center as a stray.
"Tucker came to us with his mother in a litter of six puppies," said Debbie Sims, who works at the Williamson County Animal Center. "They were strays, stranded on a farm, found by the owner here in Williamson County."
The animal center found the pups a foster home and eventually adopted all of them out to permanent homes, but not before they submitted an audition tape featuring Tucker to Animal Planet.
"She went to New York to film the Puppy Bowl," said Courtney Graham-Robbins, Tucker's new owner. "We're hoping she'll be the MVP."
But for Sims, Tucker already is an MVP. His story will bring national attention to the animal center's mission.
"It creates awareness," Sims said. "If they come over here looking for Tucker, we just say he's already got a home, but we have plenty more. Our goal is to get every dog adopted."
Right now, about 50 dogs are waiting for permanent homes at the Williamson County Animal Center.
But Graham-Robbins has hoped viewers everywhere will take Tucker's story to heart.
"Please go out to your shelters and adopt," she said. "Don't wait."
