A Super Bowl celebrity in Dartmouth? No, a Puppy Bowl celebrity!

People may notice a celebrity walking around the Anchor Animal Hospital following the Superbowl. This celebrity will not be at Levi’s Stadium, but curled up watching herself participate in the Puppy Bowl. 

Piper, a puppy who now lives in Swansea, was adopted by Lisa and John Tavares back in August. About a month and a half later she was on her way to compete in the Puppy Bowl with two of her siblings. She compteted under her foster name, Tostada, for Team Ruff.

“We dropped her off and they took her for four days,” said Lisa, “However, we heard she was more interested in the field and the surroundings rather than the actual game [Puppy Bowl.]”

Now that Piper is a bit older, she’s found a love for fetch and running around. With the winter bringing storms, she enjoys getting the zoomies in the snow. 

“Game wise, we weren’t scoring any touchdowns [during the Puppybowl,]” said Lisa, “She might now, but not then.” 

During the four days of filming, the families were sent many photos of their puppies. Piper was apparently very good at posing for her official photos. The handlers for the puppies rented houses in the area for the duration of the Puppy Bowl. 

Piper is not one of the main players due to her focus on the field during filming, but the Tavares hope to see her a couple times during the show.

Piper started her life in Tennessee, when her pregnant mother gave birth to her in a barn. The woman whose barn it was took the puppies in and fostered them, until Great Dogs New England Shelter brought them to New England to be fostered and adopted. 

Piper’s fosters put in Puppy Bowl applications for her and her two siblings, Duke and Maverick (whose name is now Travis.)

The Tavares lost their dog in March 2025, and were ready to open their hearts and home to another in August. They  saw Piper online, and fell in love with her picture with a pink spot on her nose and the coloring that reminded them of their previous dog.

“She was just a little love, a little cuddle bug, so that’s what we were looking for,” said John. 

Regardless of living in Swansea, the Tavares bring Piper to Dartmouth for veterinary care. They feel the care is worth the drive. 

Piper is your typical puppy, running and jumping around, cuddles and chewing on everything. They call her, “The Bringer of Chaos,” and “little bumblebee.” 

“She’s like a little bit of a whirlwind, but such a joy,” said Lisa.