Puppy Bowl Participant From Tulsa Based Rescue

While some of the top athletes played in Super Bowl Sunday, some of the country's cutest puppies had a game of their own.

One of the puppies in the Puppy Bowl is from a rescue based in Tulsa.

Robin Pressnall with Small Paws Rescue said Bichon puppy Powder Puff's appearance in the Puppy Bowl was just meant to be.

"I was just about to write to them and let them know, 'I'm so sorry, thank you for inviting us, but we don't have a puppy,' when we got an owner surrender form in," she said.

Pressnall started Small Paws rescue in 1998 when she went to get a puppy in Missouri.

She said it turned out the puppy was in poor living conditions. She knew she had to help the puppy and other Bichons in similar situation.

"We've got to go in and rescue him, the puppy, and his mother and his father, and all of his siblings, and everyone else we can, and that's how Small Paws was born," she said.

Pressnall said Small Paws has now rescued almost 18,000 and has 800 foster homes across the country.

Pressnall and Powder Puff went to film the Puppy Bowl in upstate New York in October, and since then Powder Puff has been adopted.

She said it was the best time, but Powder Puff wasn't really the best player.

"She didn't want to play. She wanted to be picked up by the ref. I was afraid she was going to be thrown out for bribing the ref but it was just a great experience," Pressnall said.

Pressnall said she can't believe Small Paws has grown to what it is today, but she's so thankful.

While Powder Puff may have not been a star on the Puppy Bowl field, Pressnall knows she will be a star in her new home.

"I found myself there on the day, we were filming with 12 puppies and their rescuers and we got to know each other. It was just magic." she said.

If you'd like to learn more about Small Paws, click here.