PITTSBURGH — As NFL teams pick their players, a different group of prospects is searching for a forever home.
Channel 11’s Rachel Pierce was at a rescue shelter, which is offering up its own kind of draft.
Inside the Humane Animal Rescue of Pittsburgh are 11 dogs the NFL is bringing to Acrisure Stadium in the hopes of finding their forever homes.
“We think there’s a perfect teammate to be found,” Michele Frennier with the Humane Animal Rescue of Pittsburgh said.
She said the draft offered a unique opportunity for the organization.
“This is such a tremendous once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and so we were already kind of thinking about how to have fun, but when the NFL reached out to us and officially asked us to be a part of it, we were so excited,” Frennier said.
These puppies are heading to the big stage on Saturday to show the animals off.
“You can see their energy. They’re a cattle dog mix, so they’re gonna need a family that is active,” Frennier said about one dog.
The dogs range from two months old to eight years old.
“But some of our other dogs, they’re a little bit older, and they may be that perfect companion to watch your favorite team right next to you on the couch,” Frennier said.
No matter their age, several dogs are named after legendary draft picks, like 8-year-old Ben, who was named after Ben Roethlisberger.
Terry Bradshaw and Franco Harris were also namesakes.
“Some of the puppies that came into us, we had a lot of fun, you know, paying tribute to some Pittsburgh and Steelers greats,” Frennier said.
Fans won’t be able to take the dogs home from Acrisure Stadium, but they can schedule a meet and greet for the next day.
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