If you're looking for a cuter, more relaxing alternative to tonight's big Super Bowl matchup,  we humbly suggest the annual "Puppy Bowl" on Animal Planet.

This is the eighth year Animal Planet has aired the Puppy Bowl (sponsored by Petfinder.com) and it gets a little grander each year. Kitten cheerleaders were introduced for a Bissell Kitty Half-Time Show two years ago, and this year we get for the first time, pig pep squad antics before the game.

If you're a social media hound, Meep the Bird (aka @meepthebird) will be tweeting updates throughout the event.

All of the animals featured come from animal shelters and rescues across the country. If you're interested in adopting these or other adorable pets, check out petfinder.com.

"Puppy Bowl VIII" begins at 3 p.m. on Animal Planet and runs till 5. But it will repeat on a loop all day long.

Check out more adorable photos below.

I thought I'd share a look behind-the-scenes at the healthy eating photo shoot that ran with today's story and recipes.  Andrea and I have to laugh when people approach us with the misconception that writing and shooting food is "glamorous."  Often, we are at one of our houses with Andrea working away on dishes and me moving around furniture and unwrapping borrowed dishes while we both fight off a gaggle of dogs just waiting for a moment of weakness on our part.  On this particular shoot, we were at my house and I had already shooed my 90-pound dog to the back yard.  This, of course, opened a window for my 7-pound mutt, Franny, to leap up on a kitchen chair between my feet and literally try to snatch a pancake from the plate I was shooting.  I caught her just before she dug into my styled dish but it was a close one.

See photos of dogs swimming at a Chapel Hill pool.

Over 1000 dogs compete in the 5-day AKC event hosted at the N.C. State Fairgrounds

Professional dog walkers and pooper scoopers, be warned: PetSmart is considering expansion into in-home services to boost revenue, Bloomberg News reports.

Robert Moran, who became the largest U.S. pet-store chain's CEO last month, told Bloomberg that the company is in the early stages of deciding how to deliver profitable, quality services. PetSmart already offers grooming, training and keneling at many of its 1,137 stores, including about a dozen in the Triangle.

New services could include dog walking, backyard clean-up and aquarium set-up.

"In-home services are a big opportunity, but we have a lot of work to do before we determine how to make that work," Moran told Bloomberg. "It becomes a competitive advantage if we can break the code on how to provide that."

Rocky and Sunny are among 200-plus dogs in the Triangle that can romp and frolic thanks to The Coalition to Un-Chain Dogs, a group formed three ... more

Scenes from the 133rd Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show in New York.