By Sandoval Signpost Staff
A Rio Rancho dog will be in the spotlight prior to Sunday’s big game.
Watermelon Mountain Ranch, New Mexico’s largest no-kill animal shelter, has been chosen by Animal Planet’s Puppy Bowl producers to feature a dog during the Adoptables segment of the 2025 Puppy Bowl.
The Puppy Bowl airs on Feb. 9 at noon (MST) on the Animal Planet network, just hours before the Super Bowl.
“We are so excited to have been chosen to be featured during this year’s Puppy Bowl,” said Sophia DiClemente, CEO and Founder of Watermelon Mountain Ranch. “The Animal Planet producers have been so great to work with, and we are excited to be able to showcase the Ranch and our community on national television. The last two years have been extra hard on us. We have had unprecedented requests from our shelter partners to save pets on their euthanasia lists, record-setting pet surrenders by owners, and most significantly, a dramatic drop in our donations.”
The dog’s identity, including breed, gender and age, will be revealed during one of the Adoptables segments of the Puppy Bowl.
Watermelon Mountain Ranch was founded in 1996 by Lee and Sophia DiClemente. What began as a grassroots effort with a small, dedicated group of volunteers has grown into New Mexico’s Largest No Kill Animal Shelter, encompassing a 10-acre main campus facility in Rio Rancho, two resale stores, offsite adoption centers and various humane programs serving the community. The organization’s programs include Canine/Feline Foster Care, Humane Education, Volunteers, on-site Vet Clinic, Lee’s Retirement Village (for senior dogs), Don’s Angel Fund (for injured animals), Molly’s Mercy Missions (saving animals facing euthanasia in shelters across the Southwest and Juarez Mexico). Since the inception of Watermelon Mountain Ranch, over 200,000 animals have been saved.