Jersey Girls Animal Rescue sends 2 dogs to Puppy Bowl XX

Rosemary Petriello is the Donna Kelce of the Puppy Bowl.

But that’s certainly not why she got into the dog rescue game or why she started Jersey Girls Animal Rescue.

Petriello was laid off from a job in 2012. One day she was at home looking for jobs and while surfing the net, she saw a story that said “Death row puppies,” regarding a group of unwanted puppies in South Carolina who were in danger of euthanasia.

Suddenly the important task of finding employment seemed not so important.

“I started Googling animal rescue groups in New Jersey to help me get the puppies out before it’s too late. One person called me back and I worked on that litter with her," she said.

After helping out as an independent rescuer, she linked up with some fellow compassionate people. They made a difference but had differences of opinion.

They all branched out. Petriello decided to start Jersey Girls Animal Rescue.

They say you can’t save them all, and it’s very true, but ask any of the 1,200 dogs that went from the brink of death to being loved in forever homes, and they’d speak up on her behalf to say Jersey Girls has done more than its part.

“We are a small group, and everyone has full-time jobs,” said Petriello, a South Plainfield resident who said that many of her adoptions come from Monmouth County. “It’s most of our free time in between work. And coordinating the adoptions, foster placements, vet care, fundraisers, taking care of them. It’s a lot, but it’s what we want to do.”

Most days aren’t glorious ones for people in rescue.

Super Bowl Sunday will be different.

Instead of hearing about an unwanted litter from South Carolina or a dog needing rescue from the Newark animal shelter, she’ll be cheering on both teams at the 20th annual "Puppy Bowl" on Animal Planet.

The game, which is played before the other game going on that day, features Team Ruff and Team Fluff. The teams are made up of 131 puppies from 73 shelters and rescues.

Two of the dogs will have that Jersey Girl attitude: Biscuit and Bob Barker. Barker, who is known locally as Eddie, had to change his name because there was another Eddie in the game, so they decided to honor the longtime "Price is Right" host who promoted animal welfare.

“I don’t know which team which dog is on, but I’ll be watching and cheering,” Petriello said. “It’s a great day. This isn’t the first time we’ve had dogs, I think this is No. 8 and 9 for us. It’s always fun.”

While neither of her dogs playing in the game need a home, both have great homes, including Biscuit who is living the good life in Red Bank. The Puppy Bowl is a great way to promote animal rescue and saving lives.

It’s pretty great to see your dogs star on Animal Planet. But there are some cooler things you can experience in rescue.

“The best part about it was knowing we were able to save lives and see families come together,” Petriello said. “I’ve been told we complete families with furry family members. That is so heartwarming to receive texts and emails from adopters. They say they can never thank us enough. We can’t thank them enough.

“And we’ve been doing it so long, the adopters become family. We see the full circle, dogs die of old age and the family comes back and adopts again. It has its rewards.”

Another reward is when you help a dog who desperately needs it from an owner who needs it too.

“A great story is our Baron,” Petriello said. “We were told he had a gunshot wound on his elbow. He came to New Jersey from South Carolina and required an amputation. After recovery, we gave him time to heal, and when we posted him on Petfinder, the best candidate possible came forward, a wounded veteran. It was just fate. It was nothing more than fate. We didn’t know him, he didn’t know us, he saw them on Petfinder. I still get choked up thinking about it.”

Another great part of rescue is working with diehard animal lovers who have the same goal. Petriello, the founder of the rescue, has just that.

“The volunteers who help me run Jersey Girls Animal Rescue are Darlene Dobry, Lynn Sudnick and Jenn Curmi,” Petriello said. “We all share all of the responsibilities of rescuing and placing all of the animals in the homes where they will fit best.

“They help with everything. Whenever we have a great rescue, people will say, ‘Great job Rosemary.’ I cringe. It’s not me. It takes a village.”

But Rosemary does a great job. And she’s looking forward to hanging out with fellow animal lovers for the Puppy Bowl.

The group will hold a Puppy Bowl Party from 1 to 4 p.m. Feb. 11 at Hailey's Harp and Pub, 400 Main St. in Metuchen.

A $40 ticket includes lunch buffet, non-alcoholic drinks, coffee, tea, dessert and gratuity. All proceeds go to the rescue. Tickets available by emailing jerseygrilsanimalrescue@gmail.com.

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Jersey Girls Animal Rescue excited for Puppy Bowl XX