♪♪
Downloaded from YTS.MX
TESSITORE: They wait for us in the cold.
They wait for us at the end of the bed.
Official YIFY movies site: YTS.MX
And they're waiting for us now at shelters across America.
Sometimes we have to rescue them,
and sometimes they rescue us.
-RIGGLE: Alright, hold up. Hold up. -What?
Okay? I'm gonna call bull hockey on this,
-with the sappy music. -What? The --
-Rescue dogs are cool and all... -That's right.
...but I think it's kind of unfair
they get their own ABC special.
-What? No. -I mean, what about my ABC special, huh?
Nobody's talking about that.
And what about other animals, huh, like iguanas...
-Iguanas? -...or parakeets?
Are there over 3 million parakeets
at shelters across America waiting for adoption?
-Yes. -Really?
-No. -Has an iguana ever
saved somebody from a fire, Rob?
-Actually, yeah -- -No, no, no, no.
The answer's no. We got cameras rolling.
I'm waiting. The crew's waiting.
So what is your beef here with the "Rescue Dog Show"?
We're just bringing a little bit of glamour,
a little bit of glitz, and showing people
how special rescue dogs are.
So what's with all this here?
I guess 'cause they hire me to annoy you, Joe,
and because it's funny.
There is a painful truth to that, my friend.
TESSITORE: It's the 2022 "American Rescue Dog Show."
An incredible event with 48 of the most talented,
inspiring, and lovable rescue dogs from across the country.
KELSIE: Can you say "Hello"?
[ Bellerina yowling "Hello" ]
-Yes. Oh, yes. -Dig! Dig! Dig! Dig! Dig!
Go get the ball. Go get the ball.
TESSITORE: With celebrity judges Yvette Nicole Brown,
Leslie Jordan,
Paula Abdul,
and our sideline reporter is Monica McNutt.
I'm Joe Tessitore. This is gonna be a great night.
-I'm Rob Riggle. -And this is...
TOGETHER: "The American Rescue Dog Show."
♪♪
-RIGGLE: Joe, we got a dog show. -Yes.
RIGGLE: We're big-time stepping it up.
Super fancy, if you will.
We got the judges in tuxedos,
dogs strutting around the arena floor.
TESSITORE: But we are a bit different, Rob.
On "The American Rescue Dog Show,"
we don't judge these dogs on their bloodlines
or their conformation.
We celebrate cuteness.
We celebrate their personality, their likability
in such categories as Best in Underbite,
Best in Snoring, Best in Belly Rubs,
Best in Fetching,
Best in Couch Potato --
a personal favorite --
Best in Ears,
and Best in Talking.
And there's something
incredible for those winners.
In honor of the winning dog in each of those seven categories,
a $10,000 donation is being made
to the rescue that saved that dog
or to an animal welfare organization in their hometown.
Those dogs who win those divisions
will advance to the final,
where one dog will be crowned Best in Rescue,
with an additional 100 grand donation --
all the grants kindly provided by our friends at Petco Love,
a non-profit changing lives.
[ Cheers and applause ]
TESSITORE: Our first category of the night is Best in Underbite.
Here are your top seven for Best in Underbite.
RIGGLE: Oh, look at them all coming out. Look at these underbites.
These are classic underbites, Joe.
TESSITORE: Your judge for this category
is Dr. Callie.
Dr. Callie is a vet
whose clinical background
is in emergency medicine and critical care,
and she will determine a winner
based on their performance in the ring.
And also, I guess, how epic their underbite is.
But I don't know, I'm not a dog expert.
[ Laughs ]
TESSITORE: Down the line, we have a Chihuahua Pug,
a French Bulldog-American Staffordshire Terrier mix,
a Chihuahua mix,
an English Bulldog,
a pit bull mix,
a terrier mix,
and a Chihuahua-Pekingese mix.
May I have Bobo to the mark, please?
-NANCY: Oh, yes! -Yes.
TESSITORE: First up is Bobo, a Chihuahua Pug, AKA Chug,
rescued by Pug Nation,
and here today with her adopter, Nancy Kissam.
When we first adopted Bo, he was very small.
And then he grew about 3 or 4 more pounds,
and then his teeth just emerged around the same time.
It was like he hit puberty, and, bam, that was it.
Let me get a really good look at that underbite.
RIGGLE: When you have an underbite like that,
it just -- automatically, you have a grumpy appearance,
even if you're in the best mood.
Like, right now, he could be as happy
-as he's ever been in his life. -Yeah.
But you'd be like, "Boy, he's a grump."
I'm going to ask you to run up and back for me.
-Okay. -So just right in that direction,
up and back.
[ Applause ]
How does running have anything to do with underbite, Joe?
Well, I think it's traditional at dog shows
to see the dog's gait.
Yeah, but running? Come on, man.
I think it's all good. I can't see enough of these guys.
May I have Saber
to the front here?
[ Applause ]
TESSITORE: Saber, a French Bulldog- American Staffordshire Terrier mix,
rescued by H.U.G. Hearts
and here today with foster mom LisaMarie.
Oh, my goodness.
-LISAMARIE: Good girl. -Look at that. Oh, my goodness, Saber.
-Gorgeous. -[ Audience "aww's ]
RIGGLE: Look at that. Look at that tongue.
Just perfectly placed in the -- in the underbite.
TESSITORE: Saber was found by rescuers
lying on the side of a road, was hit by a car.
And there's a bond shared, Rob, with LisaMarie,
because LisaMarie herself was nearly killed by a car.
So they both have that survivor spirit.
Absolutely.
Next up, Guinness,
a Chihuahua mix rescued by Ghetto Rescue Foundation,
and here today with mom Sheila Crosby.
Guinness is a Chihuahua mix, is that correct?
SHEILA: She is 50% Chihuahua, and then she is 12% Labrador.
My husband saw online
two little girls who needed adopting.
They had been rescued from a hoarding situation,
and they were the only two that hadn't been adopted yet.
So we adopted both Guinness and her sister, Toastie.
-Oh, my goodness. -[ Audience "aww"ing ]
Look at that.
I mean, that's an underbite.
That's for sure. Hi.
Oh. Look how cute that dog is.
She got a funny little attitude, doesn't she?
[ Cheers and applause ]
HARRIS: Whoo!
TESSITORE: Guinness is described as a "dog sound machine."
They say she makes hilarious grunting noises
throughout the day.
[ Breathing heavily ]
[ Scatting ]
Uh, it's a dog.
[ Breathing heavily ]
Closer.
Whoo! [ Cheers and applause ]
TESSITORE: Next up, Charlie Valentine,
an English Bulldog rescued
by Road Dogs & Rescue
and here today with forever mom Jewly.
I have to admit, I am a married woman, okay,
but you might have stolen my heart, sweet girl.
I'm going to have you run Charlie just up and back,
-please. -JEWLY: Come on.
-Whoo! -Come on.
RIGGLE: Charlie Valentine, everybody.
TESSITORE: Charlie Valentine.
Okay, we're ready for Wilson. Let's have Wilson up to --
[ Laughter ]
-Well, come on, Wilson. -NATALIA: Come on, baby!
TESSITORE: Wilson, a pit bull mix
rescued by Angel City Pit Bulls
and here today with their adopter, Natalia.
Now, I understand that Wilson has a job?
So, Wilson is a --
Besides belly rubs.
He's a professional kitten foster.
Oh, my goodness!
So, Wilson has fostered over 80 kittens
in the past couple years.
That's amazing.
And, uh, yeah, they -- they love him.
-They hang all over him and... -Oh my goodness.
they -- they knead on him.
He's like their little mama.
TESSITORE: 3-year-old Wilson.
I got a lot of money on this dog.
-You're not gambling on a rescue dog show? -No! No.
There's not action on -- Nobody's putting out lines on --
Who -- Who would put action on a -- on a dog show?
-I mean, that's... -So, uh --
That is -- th-that's a concern.
This is the underbite category, correct?
This is -- This is Best in Underbite.
I got the number 3 dog in this one.
Alright, Benny, we are ready for you at the mark.
[ Cheers and applause ]
TESSITORE: We got the tongue already out
on our next competitor.
It is Benny, a terrier mix rescued by Milo Foundation
and here today with dad William.
HARRIS: Are you sticking your tongue out at me?
RIGGLE: That's the wildest underbite I've ever seen, Joe.
I've never seen an underbite so profound.
Those are human eyes, too. He's got human eyes.
-HARRIS: Thank you. -WILLIAM: All right, thank you.
[ Cheers and applause ]
TESSITORE: So, this is Benny,
who's very curious, very friendly,
always smiling with that underbite.
You know something that most people don't realize
about dogs with severe underbites,
is really no risk of getting bitten.
[ Laughs ] How so?
Give me your hand.
[ Growling ]
-Wow, you're right. I like that. -See?
Yeah, 'cause typically, when you bite me, it really stings.
But now there's just nothing happening.
-When they have the underbite, -I know.
there's nothing to resist.
-It's just -- -This is a great improvement,
-Yeah. -you having an underbite.
TESSITORE: And finally, Scrump, a Chihuahua-Pekingese mix
rescued by San Diego SPCA,
and here today with forever mom Lysette.
Mommy, maybe you can help me...
LYSETTE: Yes. ...take a good look
at her underbite. Okay.
[ Audience "aww"ing ]
That looks good.
TESSITORE: That's a heck of an underbite, Rob.
I mean, look at this underbite.
Those are novelty teeth, Joe.
-Yeah. [ Laughs ] -Those are novelty teeth.
I know 'cause I-I-I dabble in novelty teeth, as well.
I can imagine you have an entire collection
-of novelty teeth, I'm sure. -I do! I have a huge collection.
-Where do you keep that? -In my garage.
Uh, it's a whole wall in my garage.
Sort of like a tool kit?
-You just pull out -- -Yeah, I -- It's a mix.
I got plastic, I got real,
I got animal, I got all kinds of --
Wait, wait, hold on, hold on. What do you mean "real"?
-You have human teeth in drawers that you, -Yes.
-you've acquired through the years?
-Yes. That's not uncommon. -That's very uncommon.
-You know, George Washington -- -And it concerns me greatly.
George Washington had actual, real,
previously existing human teeth.
That's not how the myth goes.
Well, that's a stone-cold fact about teeth,
and I'm a teeth expert.
Well, let's get -- let's get back to Scrump here,
-because she is spectacular. -And those are not real.
TESSITORE: So, those are our seven competitors
in Best in Underbite.
How do you choose among this group?
They're all phenomenal. The underbites were sensational.
RIGGLE: All of them.
This is a critical part of the decision-making process.
Best in Underbite will advance to the finals
to potentially be Best in Rescue.
RIGGLE: Lookit. Look at the intensity on Wilson's face right now.
I would not want to be the judge in this situation.
All of these are amazing dogs
with perfect underbites,
but there can only be one winner.
The rescue dog with the best underbite
that's advancing to the final is...
♪♪
...Saber!
-RIGGLE: No! -Oh, and it's the Best in Underbite
winner, Saber!
-The French Bulldog- -Come on!
American Staffordshire Terrier.
What a great underbite and a great story with LisaMarie.
Saber, you're a winner! You're a winner! Yes!
Can I put this on you? Yes? Very nicely?
Oh, my. [ Smooches ] Saber, Saber.
Oh, my gosh.
-What's going on? -What?
With your reaction to...?
Oh, I'm just really bummed out for Wilson.
It was a great... moment there, with Saber.
Huh? Yeah, Saber.
Yeah. Congrats on S-Saber.
[ Sighs ]
Don't go anywhere. Coming up, categories in snoring,
belly rubs, and fetching,
when "The American Rescue Dog Show,"
right here on ABC, returns.
Sit.
Good boy, Rob. Good boy.
[ Dog barks ]
♪♪ [ Person whistles, dog barks ]
[ Sighs ]
[ Indistinct conversations ]
♪♪
[ Sighs ]
♪♪
Welcome back to "The American Rescue Dog Show."
-I'm Joe Tessitore. -And I'm Rob Riggle.
Now, as your hosts, we don't just want to entertain you.
We also want to inform you a bit, here, Rob.
That's right, that's right.
It's time for Dog Facts with Rob and Joe.
Rob, I hope you did your research, like I asked.
-I did. -Great.
I didn't.
Okay. First dog fact -- Dogs are colorblind.
Well, technically,
dogs can see yellow, and dogs can see blue.
Technically, you're a dork. [ Snickers ]
-You're a confounding human. -Thank you.
Hey, here's a real fact for everybody at home.
When you adopt from a rescue organization,
you're actually saving two dogs --
the one, of course, that you brought home
to be part of your family,
and the spot that you're opening up at the rescue
to go and save another dog.
#Dogfacts.
You know, people don't do the hashtag thing anymore.
You gotta lose the whole hashtag thing.
Saber won our first semifinal, Best in Underbite.
Our next category's a fan favorite.
It is Best in Snoring.
Let's go to the floor for Best in Snoring.
TESSITORE: And here are your top seven for Best in Snoring.
WOMAN: Come on! Come on!
For Best in Snoring, our judge will determine the winner
based on a submitted video.
Your judge for this category is Lisa Arturo.
Lisa's the founder of Big Love Animal Rescue.
She specializes in saving dogs
who've been abandoned in extreme and unpredictable situations.
Luna, please come to the mark.
[ Cheers and applause ]
TESSITORE: First up is Luna,
a Staffordshire Terrier-English Bulldog
rescued by the Sacramento SPCA,
and here today with her forever mom, Christina.
ARTURO: Tell me, how old is Luna?
Luna's 2 years old, and she never lets us sleep.
But, you know, if you don't like it,
you'll sleep on the couch.
That's right. Well, you are just adorable.
Let's take a look at Luna's snoring video.
[ Luna snoring, barking ]
[ Luna snoring ]
-Rob, you're -- -ARTURO: Luna, that's you!
I think you're falling into a-a trance here...
-[ Riggle snoring ] -...with Luna snoring.
Rob. Rob, you gotta check out Luna.
[ Luna snoring ]
You know what I love about Luna?
She'll have these moments of muscle twitch.
RIGGLE: I think she's dreaming. She's dreaming, Joe.
She's a dreamer.
[ Luna snores ]
[ Cheers and applause ]
ARTURO: Well, Luna, you are just beautiful.
Thank you so much.
CHRISTINA: Come on, Luna. Come on.
Maiale, you're up next.
[ Laughs ]
TESSITORE: Next up, Maiale, a French Bulldog
rescued by Road Dogs & Rescue,
and here today with Jennifer.
-Tell me about her name. -It means, um, "pig" in Italian.
And is that because she sounds like one?
Jennifer: It's because she snores quite a --
ARTURO: Yeah, quite a bit.
Let's take a look at Maiale's snoring video.
Okay.
[ Maiale snoring ]
[ Laughter ]
-RIGGLE: Oh, uh, what's going on? -TESSITORE: Oh, and she's
playing to the crowd.
-RIGGLE: Showing it off, Joe. -TESSITORE: She is a show-off.
-[ Maiale snoring ] -RIGGLE: [ laughs ]
[snoring continues]
That's how I host, Joe. I have learned
to host and sleep at the same time.
Oh, I know. Trust me, I know.
Thanks.
[ Maiale wheezes ]
ARTURO: [ Laughs ]
[ crowd cheering ]
Wow, Maiale.
TESSITORE: A common misconception
is that you cannot find purebreds in rescue shelters.
In fact, 25% of rescue dogs
are indeed purebreds the way Maiale is.
There are some rescue organizations
who actually specialize in purebreds.
Okay, it's time for Nana Bear.
[ Laughs ]
TESSITORE: Nana Bear, a St. Bernard
rescued by Sunny Saint's St. Bernard Rescue
and here today with Aimee.
ARTURO: Tell me about her snoring.
Oh, my goodness.
It is, um, quite an experience.
Let's take a look at her snoring.
[ Nana Bear snoring ]
[ Laughter ]
-This is deep. -Nana Bear.
ARTURO: Huh, Nana? That's you!
Oh, that is a deep rumble.
[ Laughter ]
-Look at the tongue, look at the tongue. -RIGGLE: The tongue. Classic.
That's me. I feel like I'm looking in a mirror.
[ Laughter ]
Aww.
Wow, Nana Bear.
Good job, Nana Bear.
TESSITORE: That is Nana Bear, the St. Bernard,
clearly in the running for Best in Snoring
with that big, gravelly, long snore.
Magnificent St. Bernard.
I'm looking for that snoring dog, Kai.
TESSITORE: Kai is a French Bulldog
rescued by Balooja's Foundation,
here today with rescuer Sal.
Tell me a little bit about his snoring patterns.
So, Kai has a man snore.
-[ Laughs ] -Uh, he has a deep snore,
wakes everybody up.
Well, now let's watch.
[ Kai snoring ]
-TESSITORE: Whoa. -RIGGLE: What?
Whoa, that'll -- I mean,
that is almost like a whale.
That -- That -- That sound
is coming out of that little 25-pound dog?
That is astounding.
[ Kai snores ]
[ Laughter ]
ARTURO: He definitely delivered.
TESSITORE: I am blown away by Kai's snoring.
Like, a marine biologist...
-Yes. -...hears those sounds under the ocean.
when they're tracking whales.
Can I have Fred to the mark?
Hi, Fred! Hi!
TESSITORE: Fred, a Chow rescued by Adopt-A-Chow L.A.
and here today with their dog mom Laurie.
ARTURO: Tell me a little bit about his snoring.
It just goes o-n-n-n-n-n...
-It's -- It's like music. -...like a long train.
-It is. It is. -It's like music.
Well, I am very excited and curious
to see his snoring video.
[ Fred snoring ]
Whoa!
What is that? Is that a drag race?
[ Fred snoring ]
TESSITORE: What?!
RIGGLE: Did you ever see that "Clash of the Titans"
where they release the Kraken?
TESSITORE: Yeah, this is the Kraken.
RIGGLE: This is the Kraken.
[ Fred snores ]
[ Laughter ]
[ applause ]
ARTURO: Fred, that was wonderful.
Thank you.
TESSITORE: Just the pure size and scope
of the snore that Fred produces.
Oh. Oh.
Oh, no. We may have a snorer in the audience here.
-We got a snorer. Put the -- Let's get a-- -Do we have a...
-Get a boom mic. -Can we get a boom mic
-on our audience member there? -Get a boom mic over there.
The sad thing is, this guy's right near the set,
so I think he's actually listening to our commentary.
[ Man snoring ]
♪♪
-Okay, Capone, you're up next. -Come on!
TESSITORE: From sunny Florida,
-Capone's a bully mix... -Hi, good boy!
...competing on behalf of San Diego Humane Society,
here today with forever mom Elisha.
ARTURO: Oh, look at you. Oh, hi! You got some kisses?
Oh, thank you for -- Oh, that's so nice.
Oh, thank you for the kisses. That's nice.
Hi! [ Laughs ] He is very friendly.
Yes, he loves, loves people.
Tell me a little bit about his snoring.
Well, we are doing tiny living, so we have no room to go,
and you can hear it through the whole place.
Okay, let's take a look at his snoring.
[ Capone snoring ]
RIGGLE: What the...?
TESSITORE: Now, listen, Fred's a tough act to follow,
but Capone is bringing his A-game.
RIGGLE: Look at his tail wagging while he sleeps.
-TESSITORE: I love that. -RIGGLE: He's dreaming.
RIGGLE: Do you hear the snoring, though?
It wasn't just a straight [Snorts]
It was a [Growling, vocalizing]
It was almost like a -- he was trying to communicate.
[ Capone snores ]
[ Laughter ]
ARTURO: Thank you, Capone.
There is no doubt that Capone
-enjoys his snoring and nap time. -ELISHA: Come on! Good boy!
And last but not least, Kirby!
-[ Joe whistles ] -Hi, Kirby!
-[ Whistles ] -Come on down!
TESSITORE: And our final dog, Kirby, an English Bulldog
rescued by I Stand With My Pack,
and she's here today with her dog dad, Joe.
You just adopted her? Yep, just rescued her.
She was with a breeder who was just using her
because they were trying to breed smaller
-bulldogs. -Oh.
So she had a litter of puppies about 10 weeks ago.
-And there was a botched C-section, -Aww.
but the breeder decided he didn't need her anymore, so...
-Ohh! -Ohh!
[ Audience "aww"s ]
Kirby, we are so glad that you are not there anymore
and you're here.
We love you.
Let's take a look at her snoring video.
[ Kirby snoring ]
Look at that tongue.
Ha!
[ Both laugh ]
TESSITORE: How about the wrinkles? RIGGLE: Oh!
TESSITORE: How about the wrinkles on Kirby, as well?
RIGGLE: Oh, yeah, get some, Kirby.
RIGGLE: Look at the underbite. Just keeping that mouth open.
[ audience laughing ]
RIGGLE: He's looking out of one eye.
RIGGLE: "What are you looking at?
-You never heard a dog snore before?" - TESSITORE: [laughing ]
RIGGLE: [ Laughs ] Look at that.
[ Kirby snores ]
[ Both laugh ]
♪♪
ARTURO: Thank you. Oh, Kirby, you're just adorable.
Thank you.
You know what I really like about Best in Snoring
is that you get a sense of their personality here in the ring.
-Yes. -You get a sense of who they are.
But then you go to the videotape...
-RIGGLE: Oh! -...where you're seeing them
-at their absolute best. -RIGGLE: Yes.
You're getting replays of them in their prime.
RIGGLE: And authentic. Really authentic.
That's not fake sleeping. That's not fake snoring.
That's the real deal coming from the couch.
TESSITORE: Judge Lisa Arturo coming out to announce our winner
in Best in Snoring.
♪♪
The winner of Best in Snoring is...
♪♪
...Capone!
TESSITORE: Oh! Capone, the bully mix...
-RIGGLE: Hey! ...from Jacksonville, Florida,
is your winner in Best in Snoring.
ARTURO: Capone, yay!
-[ Cheers and applause ] -Oh! Oh!
TESSITORE: Now, Capone was so impressive.
Some of the best snoring I've heard in the game, Rob.
RIGGLE: Absolutely. Yeah. Yeah. And you've heard of a lap dog.
Well, that, my friend, was a nap dog.
Boo-yah! [ Laughs ]
Sorry.
Let's get ourselves down to the arena floor,
where our own Monica McNutt is with Capone.
-Elisha and Capone, congratulations. -Thank you.
You guys just won 10K for Capone's rescue on national TV,
showing off your baby. How do you feel?
Oh, my -- I wasn't expecting it at all,
'cause we had some great competition.
But, I mean, look at him. He's pretty awesome.
He's a great snorer, indeed.
Now, Elisha, part of his story is his pit bull background.
How special is it for you to be able to show off
how sweet he truly is here on national television?
It's great to show that he can be an advocate for the breed.
He just loves people. He loves everything about
just going out and making people smile.
Well, congratulations, Elisha and Capone.
Rob and Joe, back up to you guys.
RIGGLE: Thanks, Monica. TESSITORE: Don't go anywhere.
Coming up, we got categories Best in Fetching,
Best in Couch Potato, Best in Talking,
when "The American Rescue Dog Show,"
right here on ABC, returns.
♪♪
[ Person whistles, dog barks ]
Welcome back to "The American Rescue Dog Show."
I'm Joe Tessitore. And I'm Rob Riggle,
and I'm having my assistant Google "dog restraining order."
There's a dog that's been
-walking around the set following me. -TESSITORE: Really?
-Yes. -No.
These dogs are all lovable and likable.
-I don't see any dog that's been... -No, no, no, no.
-...worrying you or where -I'm telling you, I'm telling you
you should have a concern.
This is a scary dog.
I-I've seen him a couple times.
He's got, like, a bow tie with --
TESSITORE: Well, you have a bow tie.
Well, this one's made of bones.
No, I don't -- I don't think that's the case at all, Rob.
RIGGLE: It's -- I can only assume it's --
No, they've all been -- they've all been with their parents,
and they've been just wonderful to be around.
You haven't seen anything? You haven't seen any dog
-just on his own? -Not at all. Nope, nope.
♪♪
Joe.
Joe. It's the dog! It's the dog!
He's been chasing -- He's stalking me.
♪♪ [ Dog barking ]
[ Whispering ] It's bones.
♪♪
Just give me one second, here, Rob.
He's got the look.
He's staring at me.
♪♪
Now he's staring at you.
♪♪
TESSITORE: Let's get right back into the competition.
I love this next round, because it's near and dear to my heart.
When I'm with my dog Rocco,
sometimes he gets a little anxious.
He wants a little attention.
Here's the thing that always calms him down
and makes him feel safe.
Oh, I'm jealous already.
Next category, Best in Belly Rubs,
-so let's go to the floor. -Real quick. Help me out.
Thank you.
[ Cheers and applause ]
-Come on, buddy. -TESSITORE: We have a French Bulldog...
...a Pomchi,
an American Staffordshire Terrier,
-a Yorkie... -ANNA: Come on. Let's go.
...a Pointer-Dalmatian mix...
...and a mutt.
-Good job. -Come on, boy.
-Good job, buddy. -Good boy!
For Best in Belly Rubs, our judge will determine the winner
based on their performance in the ring
and their unique expression
of belly rub approval or disapproval.
Your judge for this category is Terry Simons.
Terry is a world-renowned
dog agility trainer
and competitor,
also an author
and an animal advocate
and founder of CLEAR,
Canine Lymphoma Education Awareness and Research.
That's a non-profit organization
that educates dog owners about canine cancer.
SIMONS: Uh, Harry? [ Harry barks ]
Harry, I hate to bother you,
but it's time for you to come forward
and get your belly rubbed. [ Laughs ]
DIA: Come on, Harry!
TESSITORE: First up is Harry,
a mutt rescued by Valley Humane Society.
Harry is here with
his forever mom, Dia.
Harry's loved belly rubs ever since we got him six years ago.
He wakes up on his back expecting a belly rub.
If you walk by him and he's just laying there,
he'll flip over and expect a belly rub.
TESSITORE: The Humane Society told her
Harry is probably the cutest dog they've ever seen.
RIGGLE: Wow, it's a fantastic looking mutt.
[ Cheers and applause ]
Come on.
-You rub my belly, okay? -DIA: Oh, he will.
Come here. Ah, there you go. Hi.
Okay, that's -- Oh, okay!
-There we go! -Good boy, Harry.
There you go.
He's getting really into that belly rub, Joe.
Isn't he? I don't think he's going to be moving anytime soon.
You know the best part about a belly rub, Joe,
is when you find -- when you hit that right spot,
just catch 'em in the right -- It's called the thumper.
-TESSITORE: Yeah. -And you hit that right spot,
-and the leg just starts going. -That's right.
And they can't -- And they're frozen.
It's like they're paralyzed almost, like [Groaning]
It's -- It's the best.
When you hit it in the right spot,
it really is satisfying for everybody.
SIMONS: Okay, I'm ready for Marshmallow. [ Clicks tongue ]
TESSITORE: Next up from Mexico
is Marshmallow, a Pointer-Dalmatian mix
rescued by Smiling Dog Rescue,
and here today with her forever dad, Michael.
MICHAEL: We call her Marshmallow 'cause she's soft and sweet.
After the three-month period
that we were supposed to foster Marshmallow,
there was no two ways about it, she was going to be my dog.
SIMONS: Oh, there we go. Daddy's doing it now.
-He's much better. -Michael: That's my good girl.
Oh, she's loving this.
That's a good belly rub right there.
That is a good belly rub.
Simons: Aww, you like that, huh?
Hi, sweetie.
If I could have Nova come forward?
TESSITORE: Nova's an American Staffordshire Terrier
rescued by Pups Without Borders.
And Nova's with her rescuer, Evie.
SIMONS: Hi.
She is the nicest wiggly butt girl,
and she just speaks so well
to dogs who are missing limbs or can't hear.
I think she's just a perfect representation of the underdog,
and how amazing underdogs are.
-SIMONS: Oh! Okay. Okay. -EVIE: She'll just flop over.
Well, let's just do some belly rubs.
EVIE: Oh, good girl.
-SIMONS: There you go. -Yeah.
[ Laughs ] [ Audience "aww"s ]
TESSITORE: Special-needs dogs like you see here with Nova
are just wonderful.
They're so courageous.
They're so inspiring.
And they are as happy,
if not more happy, than any other dog.
So we encourage you to consider
adopting a special-needs dog, as well.
That's a good belly rub right there.
That is a good belly rub. She's really enjoying that.
SIMONS: Oh, such a good girl. Yes.
-I love you. Mm, mm. -SIMONS: Yeah, hi, sweetie.
We've reached our quota for belly rubs.
And, legally, I believe we have to take a break.
We do, we do. Union rules.
Two belly rubs, and you get a "10,"
which is meant to mean that you get a 10-minute break.
-TESSITORE: Yep. -But in Hollywood parlance,
I just leave until someone finds me.
It's kind of like a game of hide and seek, Joe.
That explains a lot when it comes to you, Rob.
When we return, our Best in Belly Rub champion
plus categories
Best in Fetching,
Best in Couch Potato,
Best in Ears,
and later, Best in Talking
is absolutely outrageous,
when "The American Rescue Dog Show"
continues, right after this.
♪♪
[ Dog barks ]
♪♪ [ Person whistles ]
TESSITORE: Welcome back to "The American Rescue Dog Show."
Beautiful shot of the illustrious ribbons, plates,
trophies that the dogs and their forever families will win.
Pretty exciting stuff there. Let's get back into the action.
While you were away, the Best in Belly Rubs category
wrapped up in dramatic fashion.
Very dramatic!
SIMONS: Okay, Jabba.
TESSITORE: Jabba brought the belly rub like a champ...
-He likes scritches. -Scritch -- Scritches!
-Yes. -There we go.
TESSITORE: ...while Bonnie took a back dive
with just a little bit of help.
-Oh, yes. Oh, yes. -Dig! Dig! Dig! Dig! Dig!
And Spartacus not living up to the name "ready for battle."
MICAH: Sparty likes to party.
SIMONS: "Sparty likes to party."
TESSITORE: But fully committed to all things belly rub.
RIGGLE: Oh! Spartacus! He's trying to say,
"I am Spartacus," but it feels too good.
[ Both laughing ]
You know, French Bulldogs are so stocky,
so you're not getting a lot of that Pilates form
-out of a French Bulldog. -That's right.
One last look, as all the competitors
-are now in prime belly-rub form. -RIGGLE: [Laughing] Yep!
-Look at them. -They're loving this!
-What a great category to take part in. -Oh! Abs--
You get belly rubs all day long.
All day!
They're not complaining. They're in heaven right now.
You know, and, folks, let me say this.
This is exactly what I love
about "The American Rescue Dog Show."
This is not about conformation to the breed.
This is not about bloodlines. It's about belly rubs.
It's about enjoyment, love, exactly what you're seeing,
just loving on these precious rescue dogs.
Best in Belly Rub.
Judge Terry Simons taking one last look at the dogs
before his final decision.
Good baby.
MICHAEL: My good girl.
ANNA: The scritches. Scritches.
Okay, you guys, this was really tough.
You all deserve a spot.
Unfortunately, we can only have one of you.
[ Nova barks ] EVIE: Oh.
[ Laughter ]
Okay.
[ Cheers and applause ]
♪♪
And the winner in Best in Belly Rubs is...
♪♪
...Nova!
-Nova wins Best in Belly Rub. -Yes.
And remember, Nova is deaf,
Nova is missing a leg,
but Nova feels those vibrations when somebody approaches
and gets down for a good belly rub.
And now Nova, with Evie,
is headed to compete for Best in Rescue.
Number 17, Nova,
the American Staffordshire Terrier.
EVIE: Good baby, yes.
Let's take a look at our leaderboard.
We have Saber, our Best in Underbite,
Capone for Best in Snoring,
and just like that, Nova, our Best in Belly Rubs.
They're all moving on to the Best in Rescue.
That's the finale.
It's a shot to win an additional 100 grand donation
that'll go to an animal welfare organization
in that dog's hometown.
Let's go to Monica McNutt in the winners' area with Nova.
-Nova and Evie, Best in Belly Rubs. -Hi!
-Congratulations. -Thank you.
You just won 10K in honor of precious Nova here.
What would you say to someone considering adopting a pet
who may come with a little bit more needs?
The more needs, the better.
That just means -- It builds -- it builds character.
Those are the best dogs. They're the most deserving.
They will love you so much for life.
Thank you, Evie.
-Congratulations, Nova. -Thank you.
Guys, back up to you, Joe and Rob.
You know, Joe, we have seen a bunch of categories.
I actually came up with a bunch to help out the producers.
"Help."
RIGGLE: No, seriously.
Dogs that look like Joe.
What do you mean, dogs that look like --
Oh, you'd be surprised how many are out there.
Alright, And dogs that play poker.
-Next. -RIGGLE: Okay.
This would have been the Best in Supermodel.
[ Cheers and applause ]
TESSITORE: From Afghan Hound Rescue of Southern California...
Supermodel Afghans.
♪♪
This category was actually kind of a misunderstanding.
I was actually asking production to order me 20 afghans
'cause I was cold on set.
Ah, afghans, like the blankets.
Honest misunderstanding, except this is a dog show.
Yeah, well, this is way better.
[ Camera shutter clicking ]
♪♪
Aww, Joe, that warms my heart.
Can we just move on now, Rob?
I'm still cold, so no.
Heart's warming, nothing else.
Stretch, can you look into those blankets again, please?
I think we need to take a break.
More "American Rescue Dog Show" after this short break.
We'll be right back.
[ Dog barks ]
♪♪ [ Person whistles, dog barks ]
Hey, guys.
You've seen what's going on
in the arena with Joe and Rob.
But I want to take you behind the scenes.
Here at "The American Rescue Dog Show,"
we treat our dogs like the rock stars that they are.
♪♪
Here we are, in the dressing room.
Look at this cutie. Now, listen.
No champagne bottles for these guys,
but plenty of green squeaky toys.
You like that? [ Toy squeaks ]
♪♪
Now, for those of us that need a little help getting ready
for the day in the morning,
this is where you thrive -- the grooming section.
And you see this cutie foxy getting ready.
But don't you worry. This is not where the pampering stops.
Of course, celebrities love free stuff,
and the celebrities at our events are the dogs.
Instead of swag bags, they'll get this bed full of wag.
It is so glam back here, you guys.
A cuteness overload, for sure.
I don't think I'm ever leaving.
Back to you, Rob and Joe.
Thanks, Monica. Well, we've got another category
for everyone watching, our fourth of the night.
And it is a real show-stopper, a true testament
to a dog's loyalty -- Best in Fetching.
Seriously, if a dog will get something for you,
he really loves you.
Very true. Oh, hey!
[ Chuckles ]
Thank you so much, Rob. Loyalty.
Let's go down to the floor for Best in Fetching.
[ Cheers and applause ]
♪♪
COOPER: Welcome. TESSITORE: For Best in Fetching,
our judge will determine a winner
based on the awesomeness of their fetching skills.
Your judge in this category,
Best in Fetching,
is Darris Cooper.
Darris is a certified
professional dog trainer,
and a national pet lifestyle expert,
and we're thrilled to have him.
First up is Indy,
an Australian Shepherd
-rescued by Aussie Rescue SoCal. -[ Indy barks ]
And here today with her forever dad, Britt.
Tell me a little bit about Indy.
BRITT: Well, you know, she's a sweetheart,
and she likes to herd, the herding dog.
-But of course. Of course. -Yeah.
Alright, it looks like Indy's ready to fetch for us.
Let's see how Indy does.
Now, Indy was originally taken in by a college student.
-Play some ball. Indy, come here. -But then that student realized
that they couldn't handle the responsibility,
-You ready? Go. -so she was a rescue.
[ Cheers and applause ]
And here she is.
Indy going for Best in Fetching.
Uh, Indy's, uh, exited stage left.
Indy saw her chance and is out of here.
COOPER: No problem. Come on back.
Okay. Let's do it again.
Ready?
[ Cheers and applause ]
-Tessitore: Indy! -RIGGLE: That ball's not getting away.
[ Laughter ]
-Alright, girl. Indy. -Then right into the camera for Indy.
COOPER: Alright. Great job, Indy. Thank you so very much.
That's a nice job by Indy,
as Indy gets a great round of applause.
Next up, Tully, a Border Collie rescued by
the Pasadena Humane Society,
and here today with their dog mom, Susan.
She just turned 2 years old, and she's kind of bossy, too.
She's a boss girl. Alright.
Well, I am excited to see this superstar do her thing,
so let's give it a shot.
[ Cheers and applause ]
TESSITORE: Here she goes, going after that Frisbee.
-Susan creating some... -RIGGLE: Oh, what -- Fancy.
...creating some anticipation.
Here's the Frisbee toss.
-Oh, and a great job... -Oh! Perfect.
...by Tully, getting that golden Frisbee. COOPER: Amazing!
You know, Tully does it all. She's an all-around athlete.
She competes in dock-diving, fetch, catch,
and various Frisbee events.
-RIGGLE: And one more time. -Whoo!
Yes! Tully!
Let's see that again in slow-motion.
TESSITORE: Very nice.
RIGGLE: So good.
Alright, I am looking for Miss Lou Lou.
From Texas, Lou Lou. She's a Basset Hound
rescued by Golden Gate Basset Rescue,
and here today with their forever mom, Valerie.
She makes me laugh all day long.
The real names for these dogs that I have are Zoloft and Paxil
because they are our antidepressants.
-COOPER: How old is she? -VALERIE: 9.
9 years young! 9 years young.
-So cute! -We all get old.
-Oh, she loves you. -Aww.
TESSITORE: Really playing to the judge. -RIGGLE: Yeah.
She knows what she's doing.
Go get the ball. Go get it, Lou Lou.
Lou Lou!
Go, Lou Lou!
TESSITORE: Lou Lou has those short legs
and did not use them... -RIGGLE: Lou Lou.
...to chase after the tennis ball.
Get the ball!
[ Cheers and applause ]
Go get it, Lou Lou!
-Oh, Lou Lou denied the tennis ball. -Lou Lou, get the ball!
Lou Lou said, "I have other interests right now,
and that is showing off in front of the crowd
here at 'The American Rescue Dog Show.'"
RIGGLE: [ Chuckles ] Lou Lou should have been in Best in Ears,
Best Couch Potato, and Best Belly Rub.
I don't think fetch was her thing.
Yay!
A reminder that there are senior dogs out there
looking for homes, and they're just as incredible
as some of the young pups that we enjoy.
Consider adopting a senior dog like Lou Lou.
All right, we're ready for Pippi.
Pippi, she's a Jack Russell Terrier mix
rescued by Love Leo Rescue,
and here today with her adopter, Shayla.
-Hi. How are you? -Hey.
-How old is Pippi? -Pippi's 5 years old.
She's very competitive. She's very clever.
You like that hairdo on Pippi?
Yeah. It's that chic, disheveled thing.
-Yes. Here's Pippi. -Ready?
RIGGLE: Oh, yeah, yeah. COOPER: Hey!
-Okay. -[ Cheers and applause ]
COOPER: Whoo!
-Good girl! -That's the stuff.
-Drop. -Pippi retrieving that grounder.
Amazing job, Pippi. Thank you so very much.
-Look at that! -There is Pippi.
Highly skilled.
The rocket dog, Pippi.
Alright, Lieutenant Dan, come on over.
Hey, Joe, it's Lieutenant Dan.
TESSITORE: It is Lieutenant Dan.
And Lieutenant Dan is absolutely beloved.
A Treeing Walker Coonhound
rescued by Animal Advocates Florida,
here today with their forever mom, Laura Person.
He doesn't know he's any different. He doesn't care.
He acts like one of the other dogs.
He wrestles with them.
He plays chase with them. He swims with them.
-I think I'm ready to see this. -We'll see. He's real nervous.
We're all rooting for him, right?
[ Cheers and applause ]
Come on, Wheels.
TESSITORE: I like that, its a good nickname for Lieutenant Dan.
-Here he goes. Look at him. -LAURA: Get it! Get it!
Best in Fetch, Lieutenant Dan.
Get it.
RIGGLE: Go, buddy. COOPER: Oh, my God.
-RIGGLE: Go, buddy. -LAURA: Get it? Nope, he's leaving.
Something more interesting. Something more interesting.
TESSITORE: [ Laughs ] Lieutenant Dan says,
"Hold on. I'm going to take a hard left here."
"I'm out of here."
Get it.
Get it. Get it.
-Get it. -TESSITORE: Glancing off to the left.
RIGGLE: Never even a glance at the ball, Joe.
-Never even a glance. -LAURA: Get it. No.
RIGGLE: He really wants to walk the perimeter.
-Oh, he's coming back. -[ Ball squeaking ]
He's coming back. Maybe. Maybe.
-Nope. Come on. -Nope. It's not happening.
-TESSITORE: Oh. -RIGGLE: Nope.
Listen, I think he's enamored with the spotlights,
-RIGGLE: Yes. -with the crowd, with all the attention.
Well, looks like we're having a great time anyways.
And that's really -- That's all that counts, right?
-Lieutenant Dan's headed for the 405. -Yes.
Yeah, Lieutenant Dean has a date up in Malibu.
-That's right. He's outta here. -He's got a lunch date.
Alright, Love, you're up next. Come on up to the mark.
TESSITORE: Love, she's a Husky Labradoodle
rescued by Delaney's Dog Rescue,
and here today with her dog dad, Denis.
♪♪
RIGGLE: Oh. Oh, almost caught it in the air, Joe,
without even a one-hopper.
TESSITORE: Here goes Love, the Husky Labradoodle.
-Whoo! -RIGGLE: Whoa.
COOPER: In the air.
[ Cheering and applause ]
RIGGLE: She knows the audience is appreciating.
Did you see her look at the audience just then
like, "Yeah, you bet. You want to see another one?"
COOPER: Okay! TESSITORE: There it is, off the bounce,
and into her mouth.
COOPER: Great job! RIGGLE: Three for three, Joe.
[ Dog barks ]
And last but not least, we have Phineas!
And our final dog, Phineas, a Blue Heeler Cattle Dog
rescued by Helping Herders Rescue,
here today with forever dad John.
Phineas can jump higher than me.
I can put up the Frisbee.
He can jump and catch it in the air.
You're going to see it.
The connection and the love from rescuing a dog,
that connection that you get, there's nothing like it.
Ready? Uh-oh. TESSITORE: He is a year and 4 months old,
-weighing 35 pounds. -Release.
Going for that red Frisbee, here's Phineas!
COOPER: Whoo! RIGGLE: Nice!
TESSITORE: Good tracking.
RIGGLE: Good tracking and a nice toss there.
TESSITORE: Good speed. JOHN: That's a good boy, baby.
They work together well.
COOPER: Thank you so much, Phineas.
- [Cheering and applause ] -RIGGLE: All right.
What a great category, Joe.
And the Best in Fetching, moving on to the finals is...
♪♪
...Tully!
[ Cheers and applause ]
COOPER: Come on over.
♪♪
Congratulations, baby.
-[ Cheers and applause ] -Yay!
Riggle: Look at those eyes. So happy.
TESSITORE: Our Best in Fetching is Tully, the Border Collie, number 40.
Congratulations to Susan and Tully.
And now the path to Best in Rescue
includes a step forward by Tully.
Wow. I don't know about you,
but all that fetching made me kind of tired, Joe.
Well, it's time for us to take a break, rest our voices.
And our eyes.
We'll be back with more "American Rescue Dog Show"
after this.
And he's...out.
[ Person whistles, dog barks ]
♪♪ [ Person whistles, dog barks ]
[ Dog growls ]
It's that dog.
♪♪
Bones.
Joe, it's that dog, Bones. It's still stalking me.
TESSITORE: Rob, there is no dog.
Where'd it go? It -- It was --
It was right there. Joe, you gotta believe me.
-It was right -- -There's no dog.
Was it in my mind?
It was in my mind.
Welcome back to "The American Rescue Dog Show."
Let's doggy-paddle back into the competition.
This category's my favorite.
Every category can't be your favorite, Rob.
But it is true that this is a really good category.
This is Best in Couch Potato, my friend.
Let's get to the floor for the action.
TESSITORE: It's a gathering of dogs that know the finest things in life,
like relaxing.
Your judge for this category
is Lisa Arturo.
RIGGLE: Look at this -- Look at this pose.
-Look at this guy! He's got the -- -Look at this!
All the paws are up.
He's totally opened up.
He's maxing and relaxing.
He looks like he's got an underbite, too.
He should have been double entered.
May I have Joy to the couch, please?
TESSITORE: First up, all the way from South Korea,
it is Joy,
a Borzoi rescued by Greyhound Friends for Life.
And Joy is with her forever mom, Margie.
ARTURO: She's beautiful. MARGIE: Thank you.
So, in your opinion, what makes her a couch potato?
Is that, like, her favorite thing to do all day, or she --
Well, she -- she's active in the morning,
very active in the morning. Okay.
And then, if you're looking for her, look on the couch,
-upside-down with a big smile on her face. -Oh!
TESSITORE: 5 years old. So affectionate, Rob.
Absolutely. Took to that couch very easily.
Come on, Joy-Joy! Come on, Joy-Joy!
Couch Potato may be one of the more difficult divisions
and competitions we have, because the bright lights,
the cameras, the sense of competition.
Yes, absolutely.
May I have Hennessy to the couch, please?
JERI: Let's do this. Come on.
TESSITORE: Next up, Hennessy, a Bulldog rescued by Balooja's Foundation,
and here today with his foster mom, Jeri.
ARTURO: Yay, Hennessy!
[ Both laugh ]
Aww!
ARTURO: Come on. Let's give you a hand. There you go.
JERI: Whoa. Oh!
ARTURO: Hi, honey! Are you having a rough day?
TESSITORE: Hennessy is 9 years old, and you can tell
he is one heck of a couch potato.
RIGGLE: Look at that. He is made for that couch.
-[ Audience "aww"s ] -You know, all he needs right now
is a bowl of chips and a remote control,
and he is, like, completely set for the night.
ARTURO: Well, Hennessy, uh, as much as I don't want to disturb you,
it is time for your walk.
Come on, come on, buddy.
A couch potato after my own heart.
That's a dog that'll binge-watch "The Bachelor" with you, Rob.
Ah, true love.
You basically go on "The Bachelor"
to find someone to watch "The Bachelor" with.
-It's very meta. -Very meta.
Dustin is a Basset mix rescued by Golden Empire Basset,
and he's here today with his adopted mom, Elena.
The kind of dog that they say will stay on the couch
all day long.
ARTURO: Wow, Dustin, you have adorable ears.
Dustin loves to make a fool of himself.
He loves to kiss you.
He is like a little bright light at the end of the tunnel.
He is just amazing.
Oh, thank you -- Oh, thank you for --
-ELENA: He also loves kisses. -Oh!
TESSITORE: Here you see Dustin really engage with the judge.
I mean, he's kissing the judge,
which you would think would go over very well, but,
you want to prove yourself as a worthy couch potato.
Yeah. You just gotta turn off, Joe, like this.
Yeah.
[ Cheers and applause ]
ELENA: Alright, come on. Good boy.
-ARTURO: What a good baby. -[ Laughs ]
What I'd really like is for you to be engaged and energized
and really play to the cameras here, but --
[ Snores quietly ]
You're still talking?
-It's what I do for a living. -Oh, boy.
ARTURO: May I have Biff to the couch, please?
[ Cheers and applause ]
ARTURO: Hi, Biff!
Biff -- Miniature Poodle mix Biff --
was rescued by Ozzie and Friends.
And Biff is here today with his forever mom, Diana.
Now, Biff goes upper deck.
RIGGLE: Upper deck, look, Joe.
TESSITORE: Biff immediately understands what it is to be a couch potato
but elevates the level of couch potato,
going upper couch.
Biff clearly understands what's at stake here.
You look very, very comfortable. Thank you so much.
-[ Cheers and applause ] - Let's go, let's go!
ARTURO: Thank you, Biff.
Sparrow, you're up next.
♪♪
TESSITORE: Sparrow, a Boxer mix
rescued by WAGS Pet Adoption.
-ARTURO: Hi, Sparrow! -Sparrow is here with her dog mom, Amy.
Sparrow going to plop down and take some time off?
Sparrow is actually only 14 months old,
and she's a Boxer, so even more higher energy.
-Okay. -Put her right on her back.
-Whoa! -There we go.
Oh, that does -- that does look comfortable, Sparrow, I must say.
RIGGLE: Amy pulled Sparrow into this position,
so I don't know if that counts.
-I-I would deduct points. -I would.
Now, listen, I give Amy credit
for saying, "We gotta win this thing."
-"Yeah, you gotta relax, Sparrow." -and -- and go for it.
But I need Sparrow to do it.
ARTURO: Thank you. Thanks, Sparrow.
♪♪
[ Dog barks ]
May I have Bully to the couch?
TESSITORE: From France, we have Bully,
a French Bulldog-pit bull mix
competing on behalf of Wags & Walks Rescue.
And Bully is with his forever mom, Donna.
ARTURO: You are just beautiful.
Now, I heard that Bully, uh, has a passport.
-DONNA: Yes. -Wow!
You're fancy.
[ Laughter ]
-Aww. -Aww, Bully.
What you do with your front paws and your head position,
I think, is absolutely critical.
I personally like when the typical couch potato
will duck the paws underneath
and bury them where their head is covering their paws
-so you can't even see the front paws. -Oh, yeah.
That's a great move for a dog couch potato.
That's the snuggle move. That's the --
-Yeah, totally. -"I'm -- I'm burrowing in."
- [Bully barking ] - ARTURO: Yeah.
ARTURO: Thank you, buddy. DONNA: Thank you.
[ Cheers and applause ]
ARTURO: And, Willy, you are up.
Hi, Willy.
TESSITORE: And our final dog, Willy.
He's an Afghan Hound
rescued by Afghan Hound Rescue, Southern California.
Willy is with his forever mom, Kim. ARTURO: Come on, Willy!
-Come on. -Up here, up here.
-Come on. Hi, Willy. -That's my boy.
Wow! Willy, this is what my hair was supposed to look like today.
TESSITORE: Nicknamed "Chilly Willy."
Now, Chilly Willy just settled right into that couch.
And Willy is a purebred Afghan.
-He is, he is, yeah. -Wow.
And many people don't realize
that you can get pure-breed dogs in shelters.
TESSITORE: Willy gets groomed every two weeks.
RIGGLE: Oh, as well he should.
As well should your beard.
-Uh -- -I-I'm sorry.
Was that -- Was the mic open there?
Yeah. No, I heard you. Everybody heard you.
[ Cheers and applause ]
Hey, there were a lot of lazy dogs here
exhibiting a lot of different techniques
to try to conquer Best in Couch Potato.
But there can only be one Best in Couch Potato
to earn a trip to the finals and Best in Rescue.
Who will it be?
ARTURO: The winner of Best in Couch Potato
and advancing to the finals is...
♪♪
-...Biff! -Yay!
TESSITORE: Oh, Biff! RIGGLE: Biff! Oh, yeah, look,
-Biff woke up. -Look at Biff.
Biff's like, "That's me. That's me."
"They called my name. They called my name."
The Miniature Poodle mix, Biff, number 10,
is Best in Couch Potato.
I love the Miniature Poodles,
'cause they'll go upper deck, right?
RIGGLE: Yes. Absolutely.
Didn't even think about it. Just jumped up and said,
"Now this is my --" He did it again!
He knows his spot.
[ Cheers and applause ]
TESSITORE: Congratulations to our Best in Couch Potato.
They just won $10,000 to be donated
in honor of Ozzie and Friends.
Way to go, Biff.
ARTURO: Good job. Good job.
[ Laughs ]
♪♪
Let's talk to the winner backstage
and see how they're feeling. Monica, take it away.
Biff and Diana, you guys just won $10,000
to the rescue that Biff came from,
And you are off to the finals
for a chance to win another $100,000
that will also go to rescuing animals.
What is going through your mind right now?
I'm still in shock.
There were so many great couch potatoes out there.
We are just happy to be you know,
nominated and in the running
and really glad it's going to a great cause, so...
Well, Diana and Biff, I can't get enough of this guy cuddling.
Congratulations. We will see you in the finals
for Best in Rescue.
Back to you, Joe and Rob.
Thanks, Monica. We'll be back
with more "American Rescue Dog Show" after this.
♪♪ [ Dog snorts ]
A dog sneeze, they go -- [Huffs]
-Yeah, well -- -They go side to side, usually.
A human sneeze is more of an up and down, like, a wha-wham.
Right. So y-you don't believe
there's any human who sneezes horizontally.
All human sneezes are vertical?
Yes. That's a fact. That's science.
[ Laughs ]
Welcome back to "The American Rescue Dog Show."
You're going to love this next category, Rob.
-Oh, yeah? -Oh, yeah.
-I'm all ears. -It's Best in Ears.
That's perfect. Let's go down to the floor.
-See what I did? -I saw what you did.
TESSITORE: Here are your top seven for Best in Ears.
A Basset Hound,
-a Miniature Schnauzer... -RACHEL: Yes!
...a real mutt, everything but the kitchen sink of breeds,
an English Cocker mix,
-a Podenco Canario... -JULIE: Good boy. Yes.
-...a German Shepherd mix... -SCOTT: Come on. Yes. Come on.
...an American Bull Terrier...
MAN: Good boy.
...and... [ Woman smooching ]
♪♪
A pig?
-Whoa. What? Joe, no. -What?
That's a cool-looking dog.
[ Woman smooching ] Come on!
[ Cheering ]
Man: Sooie! Sooie!
Well.
Woman: [ Smooching ] Come on.
It's pretty clear that that is a pig, Rob.
That's a pig.
No, no, that's a dog,
a real dog. [ Laughs ]
Never seen a pig with those kind of ears, I'll tell you.
♪♪
[ Pig oinks ]
It just oinked. Rob! It just oinked.
-Your "dog" -- -That was a bark.
-It was not a bark. -That was a bark.
Come on, now, let's stop all this silly chatter
and watch all these dogs compete.
Woman: Come here. Come here.
♪♪
[ Pig grunts ]
By the way, the pig is, uh --
Wh-What are you -- What are you doing there?
Nothing. I'm doing some notes, Joe.
Focus on what's going on out there.
No, no, are those odds? Is that a money line?
No, no, no. This is a couple phone numbers
-I gotta call. -It just said 10-1 on that.
[ Laughing ] It did not.
Did you just -- Are you getting action on the pig?
[ Clears throat ] Nope.
That's not a pig, by the way. That's a dog.
[ Pig grunting ]
Uh, excuse me.
[ Dodger barks ]
I'm so sorry, but this is Best in Ears
for dogs. [ Pig oinks ]
TESSITORE: Oh, and look at this. Judge Callie is clearly
-having none of this. -What is this?
She is holding up the great standards
of "The American Rescue Dog Show."
Oh, Joe, this is not good.
Let the dog compete.
Let what dog?
-The dogs are competing. -"Let the dog compete.
Let the dog compete."
If you think you're going to try to mobilize
-and galvanize this crowd -- -Oh-oh. Here she goes, here she goes.
-Oh, no. -I'm not sure if your pig
can stay in this competition.
-No, no! -I'm so sorry.
[ Pig grunting ] I know. I love pigs, okay?
[ Sighs ]
And he does have great ears,
but, unfortunately,
I'm going to have to ask your pig to exit stage.
[ Audience groaning ]
♪♪
TESSITORE: The right thing was done.
The pig is out of the competition.
Let's go to the floor. [ Sighs ]
This is not -- not good, Joe.
HARRIS: First up is Bunny.
If I'll have Bunny to the mark, please.
TESSITORE: Bunny, an American Bull Terrier rescued by Deity Animal Rescue,
and here today with her foster, Ellen.
When we are out and about,
her ears totally get her extra attention.
People look, and they smile, and you can read it on their face
that they're just watching her ears
kind of prance down the street.
HARRIS: I am getting an amazing look at her ears.
I mean, I feel like she's communicating.
And as a vet, I get a lot of my cues from my patients' ears.
Okay, next up is Charlie Hound.
TESSITORE: Charlie Hound, a Basset Hound
rescued by Basset Hounds Rescue of SoCal,
and here today with his adopted dad, Isaiah.
Charlie's ears are these massive, super-long, wide ears
that drag across the whole floor.
And fun fact, I stopped buying brooms once I got Charlie,
'cause he sweeps the floor with his ears.
[ Laughs ]
HARRIS: Oh, my gosh. ISAIAH: Look at this.
I mean, amazing.
ISAIAH: Thank you. Amazing.
TESSITORE: Look at the ear span.
Not the wingspan, that's the ear span.
That's like the Spruce Goose wingspan.
Charlie, the Basset Hound.
-That was like a full football field. -[ Laughs ]
♪♪
We'll be back with more "American Rescue Dog Show"
after this.
♪♪
TESSITORE: For all the pet parents watching tonight,
did you know that at some point in their lifetimes,
one in three pets go missing?
You can sign up free today for Petco Love Lost
to protect your pet should the unthinkable happen.
Go to abc.com/theamericanrescuedogshow
for more information.
♪♪ [ Person whistles, dog barks ]
Welcome back to "The American Rescue Dog Show."
-You know, I barely want to even watch... -Why?
...since they missed an opportunity
to make my dog a winner.
Oh [Stammers] Rob, that was a pig.
We-- We're not going to get into it right now.
You can't win 100 grand with a pig entry here.
-Hold on! Do not besmirch my dog... -"Dog."
...good sir. Be respectful of my pig's sensitivity.
Oh! So now you admit. You just said "pig."
You admit it was a -- I'm glad you're doing that.
No, no, that's my dog's name, is "My Pig."
Your dog's name is "My Pig"?
Well, technically, it's Dr. My Pig.
Alright, let's take a look at what we missed
while we were at break.
HARRIS: Okay. Dodger, you're up next.
Come on, Dodger.
TESSITORE: Dodger, a German Shepherd mix,
displayed some fine ears on the floor.
[ Toy squeaking ] Let me see. Let's see.
[ Gasps ] There we go.
TESSITORE: Quickly upstaged by Aroa's on-point ears.
I understand Aroa is a Podenco Canario.
A breed that we're not so familiar with
here in the States.
She's giving me supermodel vibes.
TESSITORE: And Jin brought the heat with a classic floppy ear coif.
HARRIS: This blond bombshell. [ Stevo laughs ]
Jin's ears are beautiful.
Come here. Come on the green.
Another belly rubber. What can you say?
TESSITORE: Peanut -- Well, Peanut had a familiar vibe for Judge Callie.
-I feel like Peanut reminds me of someone. -Kristen: Mm-hmm.
-Maybe Baby Yoda? -A little bit, right?
Okay, I was correct.
Next up, Bunny Steinberg.
TESSITORE: And finally, Bunny Steinberg.
Those radar dishes really wowed the crowd.
HARRIS: Oh, my goodness. Look at these ears.
They're perfect.
RIGGLE: This is the "Top Gun" of canine ear competition.
The best of the best are here today.
Also, I don't know of any other dog ear competition,
-so, really, this is the only one. -Oh, y-you don't --
You don't think there are dog ear competitions
-throughout the country? -I don't -- I don't know of any,
and I've got my finger on the pulse of canine America.
Let's find out who the winner is for Best in Ears.
Let's go down to the arena floor.
Alright, last look, guys. [ Sighs ]
♪♪
[ Dodger barks ]
♪♪
So many beautiful dogs, and they are all amazing.
But there can only be one winner.
And you all have the most incredible ears,
so you did not make my job any easier.
But the Best in Ears dog
advancing to the final is...
♪♪
...Charlie Hound!
- Whoa! -Charlie Hound, the Basset Hound!
How about that!
Charlie Hound, number 47...
...the Basset Hound, is Best in Ears.
RIGGLE: You know, in some ways, a surprise,
and in some ways, not a surprise.
TESSITORE: I loved the way Charlie Hound
finished up the competition...
...because he went with the ear span.
I thought the ear span put it over the top.
That locked it in. That was the golden moment.
That was the turning point.
[ Cheers and applause ]
TESSITORE: What a great story with Charlie Hound.
He was living in a shelter on the San Diego-Mexican border
and then was rescued.
-And now here he is, a division winner... -Yes.
...potentially taking Best in Rescue
thanks to those massive ears.
On his way to the finals, Joe.
Let's go to Monica McNutt in the winners' area.
I'm here with Charlie and his dad, Isaiah,
who just won Best in Ears. These are quite the ears.
Are you surprised that Charlie picked up this award?
The competition was steep.
Um, no, the competition was steep,
but with these ears, how do we lose?
You guys are on to potentially be the Best in Rescue
-in the finals, congratulations. -Thank you so much.
-I'm so excited. -Charlie, you did great, my guy.
Let's get it back upstairs to Rob and Joe.
Let's take a look at the leaderboard.
So, we continue to fill in
our competition round.
Another semifinalist
is on the leaderboard,
everyone here headed
to Best in Rescue.
We're going to take a quick break.
When we return,
it's Best in Talking,
plus the finale,
Best in Rescue overall,
when "The American Rescue Dog Show,"
right here on ABC, returns.
[ Dog barks ]
♪♪
Welcome back to "The American Rescue Dog Show."
-I'm Joe Tessitore. -And I'm Rob Riggle.
And this is our last semifinal competition
before we get to our big one, Best in Rescue.
It's Best in Talking.
Hey, I think we know a little something about that one, Joe.
Uh, some would debate that. But let's get to the floor.
Here are your top seven for Best in Talking.
-Oh, they are talking already. -[ Dogs barking ]
You hear them down there, Joe?
[ Dog howling ]
Judging Best in Talking
is Darris Cooper.
[ Puka barks, howls ]
Alright. I'm ready for Inigo Montoya. Come on over.
TESSITORE: Inigo Montoya,
a Poodle-terrier mix
rescued by Friends for Life Humane Society,
and here today with his forever mom, Cathy Brooks.
Why don't we take a look at the video, shall we?
[ Inigo whining ]
♪♪
[ Whining continues ]
[ Tessitore laughs ]
♪♪
Good job, all right, good job.
TESSITORE: You know what I love about it? It's not barking.
It's talking.
COOPER: [ Laughing ] Adorable.
Awesome job. Thank you.
TESSITORE: Interesting fact about Inigo. His favorite treat --
-beef lung and trachea. -Ugh!
Alright, Puka, you're up next!
TESSITORE: Next up is Puka. She's a Boxer-Bulldog mix
representing spcaLA... Hi!
...and here today with her forever mom, Christine.
[ Puka howling ]
-Do you want more? - [ Laughing ]
-That's amazing. -She'll give you the full biography.
I'm sure she would. But you know what?
We're lucky, because we have a video.
CHRISTINE: Do you want a cheeseburger?
[ Puka groans ]
[ Puka howling ] You want French fries?
[ Puka groans ]
[ Puka vocalizing, howling ]
♪♪
That's Phantom of the Opera. That's Phantom of the Opera.
[ Puka howling ]
RIGGLE: Oh, my gosh. Puka loves to talk.
TESSITORE: And here's what's wonderful.
As Puka is watching the video play,
Puka's in the ring singing along to Puka on videotape.
RIGGLE: Puka likes the sound of Puka.
That's right.
TESSITORE: Puka has a cleft palate,
and there are many dogs just like her
in shelters, waiting to be rescued.
As you can see, they make wonderful pets.
I'm looking for that talker Romeo.
-Come on over. -Come on.
TESSITORE: Romeo is a terrier mix
rescued by the Dexter Foundation,
and here today with his dog mom, Georja.
When we first got him, he was almost a year old,
but he had never had a family before.
He was a street dog, and he had broken legs.
I don't think he started talking for a while,
till he started feeling a lot more settled.
-We have the video. -Okay.
[ Romeo groans ]
GEORJA: Yeah? What else?
-[ Romeo grumbles ] -Really?
Did you see the dolphins? Yeah?
-[ Romeo whining ] -Yeah?
TESSITORE: I think Romeo does a really good job...
-Georja: Oh, really? -...expressing his feelings,
expressing how he feels. RIGGLE: Yes.
Yes.
COOPER: [ Chuckles ]
Absolutely adorable.
Wounded street puppy who was picked up
and then adopted by Georja.
Can I have Sierra to the mark, please?
TESSITORE: Sierra, an Afghan Hound rescued by
Afghan Hound Rescue
of Southern California.
And Sierra is with her forever mom, Donna.
-[ Sierra howls ] -Oh, okay!
[ Laughter ]
Amazing.
Let's take a look at her video, shall we?
[ Wanser and Sierra howling ]
DONNA: Sierra! Oh, Sierra!
Oh, Sierra!
You want to see "Luca"? You want to see "Luca"?
"Quit asking me! I said yes!"
Sierra, you want a cookie?
[ Stops howling ]
[ Laughter ]
Amazing job. Thank you so very much, Sierra.
TESSITORE: "You said cookie?"
RIGGLE: Yeah, "Don't play around with me, lady."
-TESSITORE: "You said cookie." -"You said cookie. I heard you say it."
"Now, that cookie better show up right here. You said cookie."
Sky to the mark, please.
[ Cheering and applause ]
TESSITORE: Sky is a Siberian Husky
representing Second Chance Pet Adoptions...
...and she's here today with her forever mom, Cyndy.
It was a self-rescue. She was actually with a family
that kept her in the kennel 24/7.
We got her in the car, and she literally was yelling at us
like, "Let's go home. Let's go do something."
So, yeah, immediately, It was adorable.
Cooper: Take a look.
[ Sky growling ]
-Sky will let you know how she is feeling. -Yeah.
[ Sky barks, growls ]
[ Sky vocalizing ]
CYNDY: You got something to tell me?
[ Sky groaning ]
[ Sky howling ]
No. You need to stop arguing with me.
Just come downstairs.
[ Sky howls ]
No, you're not getting back in the bed.
That's not your bed up there, come on.
[ Sky growling, bouncing ]
[ Laughter ]
Thank you.
[ Laughs ] That is amazing.
Thank you so very much.
Bye-bye, Sky.
TESSITORE: Great baritone voice out of Sky.
Very expressive, deep voice.
Almost has a human-like quality...
-RIGGLE: Yes. -...to engage fully
in the conversation.
[ Dogs howling ]
RIGGLE; Oh, they're still talking down there, Joe.
They can't help themselves.
COOPER: Alright, Bellerina, please come forward.
TESSITORE: Bellerina, a Maltipoo
rescued by Priceless Pets Rescue,
and here today with her forever mom, Kelsie.
COOPER: So, I hear that she has a very special ability.
-Tell me a little bit about it. -So, she says "I love you,"
"yes," "no," "I don't wanna."
Let's see if we can get an "I love you."
Do you love me, Bella? Do you love me? Speak!
[ Whining "I love you" ]
I love you. Yeah.
[ Cheering and applause ]
Oh, my gosh. I would love to see some more.
Let's take a look at this video.
KELSIE: I love you. Do you love me? Speak.
Say, "I love you." Speak.
[ Gravelly whining ]
TESSITORE: I believe I heard Bellerina just say "I love you."
Can you say, "Hello"?
[ Bellerina yowling "Hello" ] Good job.
TESSITORE: I believe I just heard Bellerina say "Hello."
COOPER: Oh, my God. RIGGLE: I think I did, too.
Bellerina, you guys are such an amazing team. Bye, guys.
RIGGLE: This is a great dog, Joe.
TESSITORE: That's incredible. Bellerina is incredible.
RIGGLE: All animals have the ability to mimic,
but I've never heard a dog actually get close to English.
COOPER: Marina to the mark, please.
TESSITORE: And finally, Marina.
She's a Husky mix rescued by Hollywood Huskies.
And she's here today with Jan.
So let's see what she can do. Jan: Okay.
Let's take a look.
[ Marina howling ]
Jan: Yes? Yeah?
Did you --
[ Marina howling ]
Did you have a good weekend?
[ Marina grumbles ]
Show me where the treats are. Show me where the treats are.
[ Marina howling ]
-You want a coconut blueberry stick? -"Over here!"
JAN: You do? Okay, let's go this way.
-"Open the cupboard!" -JAN: Go to the treats.
Where are the treats?
"Right in here! You know where they are!
-Quit playing games with me!" -JAN: Okay. There you go.
[ Marina howling ]
[ Cheers and applause ]
Beautiful job, Marina.
Thank you so very much. Bye, guys.
TESSITORE: A beautiful Husky coat.
Well, That is Marina trying to win Best in Talking.
I was truly impressed and inspired
by all of the voices that I heard tonight.
But there was one that really stood out to me, for sure.
♪♪
The Best in Talking, advancing to the finals, is...
Bellerina!
TESSETORE: Listen, it was a great, great group of competitors
for Best in Talking.
But Bellerina, Rob -- Bellerina was speaking, Bellerina.
RIGGLE: She was speaking.
I actually felt like there were sentences and thoughts
being exchanged between human and canine.
Bellerina, number 25,
advancing to the finals.
The Maltipoo
looking to nail down
Best in Rescue,
having now the crown Best in Talking.
Say, "Thank you." Can you say, "Thank you"?
Say, "Thank you." Speak.
[ Bellerina barks ]
[ Kelsie laughs ]
All right.
Hold on. This is getting weird, man.
I mean, Joe, are you seeing this?
[ Laughs ] Look, I know it's not real.
I mean, it can't be...real.
Oh, boy. Joe?
Joe, it's got me.
Joe, I can't see.
Oh, boy. What's happening, Joe?
Joe! Joe!
♪♪
Oh, my gosh, she's here.
TESSITORE: Hey. Bones.
Oh. Oh, hey, you don't want to hurt old Robbie.
-I'll be your friend! Yes, I will! -Well, Rob's made a friend here.
And, actually, Bones the dog is just one of several dogs tonight
that are still looking for a forever home.
Now, if you're interested in any of these dogs,
just go to abc.com/theamericanrescuedogshow
for more information on how you can adopt them.
And now we've got to take a break.
All of our semifinal winners,
they are just incredible.
One of them's going to take the title of Best in Rescue.
An additional 100 grand donation
is going to go to an animal welfare organization
in that dog's hometown.
Our Best in Rescue final and celebrity judges
are coming up right after this. You don't want to miss it.
♪♪ [ Person whistles, dog barks ]
You know what's next?
I think it's pretty obvious what's next. Puppies!
Close -- Puppies!
I just said that.
Oh, yeah. They're so precious. They're adorable.
-Gotta goose the ratings. -No doubt about that.
Now, listen, you can actually adopt puppies like this
from shelters and rescue groups,
so there's no need to buy one from a breeder or a pet store.
♪♪
It is time for our biggest competition of the night,
Best in Rescue.
But before we do that, we want to acknowledge a dog
that didn't place in the competition
but still won our hearts, and, Rob, I'm sure yours.
It's our Mr. or Mrs. Congeniality.
The winner for Mr. Congeniality is...
-Lieutenant Dan. -Hey!
Let's give Lieutenant Dan a round of applause.
There he is,
the 3-year-old Treeing Walker Coonhound.
Magnificent Lieutenant Dan.
RIGGLE: One of the happiest dogs
-in the competition. -But he is one of the happiest dogs
we have seen throughout the competition.
TESSETORE: Remember, special needs dogs
can be some of the most inspiring, courageous,
and beautiful companions among all rescue dogs.
Congratulations, Lieutenant Dan.
Now it is the finals.
This is the rescue dog Super Bowl.
Who's it going to be? I know I can't choose.
Well, which is why we've got celebrities to do it for us.
It's probably the hardest they've ever had to work.
TESSITORE: Let's meet our celebrity judges.
Her character in "Lady and the Tramp" hated dogs,
and that was a very challenging role for her,
since she absolutely loves them.
It's Yvette Nicole Brown.
[ Cheers and applause ]
He's an actor, writer, singer,
and a sweet Southern gentleman
known for his Emmy-winning portrayal of Beverley Leslie
on "Will & Grace."
It's Leslie Jordan.
[ Cheers and applause ]
And finally, she's a superstar who does it all --
singer, dancer, choreographer, actress.
But above all, she's a mom to three rescue dogs.
It's Paula Abdul!
[ Cheers and applause ]
And our floor judge for our final round is Terry Simons.
And now, please put your hands together
for your finalists
for Best in Rescue.
♪♪
First up is Best in Underbite, Saber,
a French Bulldog-American Staffy mix.
Look at that. Lookit.
Best in Snoring, Capone,
a pit bull mix.
Aww. Aww.
Best in Belly Rubs, Nova, an American Staffordshire Terrier.
[ Cheers and applause ]
Best in Fetching, Tully, a Border Collie.
[ Cheers and applause ]
Best in Ears, Charlie Hound,
a Basset Hound.
Hi!
[ Cheers and applause ]
Best in Talking, Bellerina, a Maltese and Poodle mix.
Aww.
[ Cheers and applause ]
And last but not least,
Best in Couch Potato,
Biff, a Miniature Poodle mix.
[ Laughs ]
♪♪
[ Cheers and applause ]
May I have our Best in Underbite winner,
Saber, to the mark, please?
[ Cheers and applause ]
TESSITORE: Remember, each dog will be judged
on their specific category that they've won.
Saber was the winner in Best in Underbite.
Hi, there, Saber. Let me see that.
Oh, my goodness. Look at that.
You have an amazing underbite, my dear.
Now, if we can let the judges take a good look at this.
-PAULA: Hi, Saber. -YVETTE: Hi, Saber.
-LESLIE: Hi, Saber. -TESSITORE: As our celebrity judges
are able to see that underbite up close.
Best in Underbite, Saber.
Okay, I'm looking for Capone. Come on forward!
TESSITORE: Your Best in Snoring, Capone.
Hi, Capone!
Oh, my God.
-There you go. -Yes, there you go.
Hi, buddy, how are you?
[ Laughter ]
Okay. I know he's in the finals for a reason,
so why don't we stand up and take a look
and see his snoring video?
[ Capone snoring ]
[ Laughter ]
SIMONS: Oh, he's wagging his tail.
[ Laughter ]
TESSITORE: I think our celebrity judges have to appreciate
the depth of the snore of Capone.
[ Laughter ]
[ Cheers and applause ]
Thank you, Capone.
ALL: Capone! Capone!
-PAULA: Oh, just a love bug. -[ Yvette exclaiming ]
TESSITORE: Best in Snoring going for
Best overall in Rescue.
He's so cute.
We're ready for our Best in Belly Rubs, Nova!
Here is Nova, 6-year-old, 45 pounds.
She is gorgeous, and she has become a fan favorite.
EVIE: Nova, you want to lay down?
[ All "aww"ing ]
SIMONS: There we go.
Little belly rub.
EVIE: She'll stay here as long as you keep petting her.
I really do honestly hate to interrupt this,
'cause she's -- she's just enjoying this.
But the other judges need to see her,
so let's take her over to see the judges over here.
-ABDUL: Nova? -SIMONS: Come on, Nova!
-Thank you, Nova. -Come on!
-Come on. Nova. -Nova, come!
-Hi! -Evie: She's deaf, by the way.
-Oh, she's deaf. -Aww.
[ Cheers and applause ]
SIMONS: Thank you, Nova. Good girl.
I'm ready for our Best in Fetching, Tully!
TESSITORE: Tully was spectacular when the stakes were highest.
Everything on the line for Tully, though.
Let's see if she can perform like that again.
Simons: Hi! Susan: Oh.
-Well, she loves fetching, -Yes.
and it looks like you have some Frisbees for us.
-Yes. -Do you mind showing off your fetching?
Of course not.
TESSITORE: You know, you step onto this purple carpet
with an underbite, it's just there.
You don't have to put forth and perform at that moment.
But for Tully,
this is the moment where she has to step up again.
Good girl.
Go get it. This one's --
[ All exclaiming indistinctly ]
-RIGGLE: That was dynamite. -That was great.
That was all four paws off the ground.
Well done, Tully.
TESSITORE: Unique pressure on Tully that you get to Best in Rescue,
and you have to perform at that moment.
RIGGLE: That's right. Look at that tail wagging, though.
Tully's having the time of her life.
SIMONS: Okay, I'm ready in our Best in Ears,
-Charlie Hound! -ABDUL: Yay, Charlie!
TESSITORE: Best in Ears, Charlie Hound.
Even Isaiah admits that the length of Charlie's ears,
which won him Best in Ears,
are a hazard -- he trips over them.
SIMONS: Well, if you don't mind, want to show me some ears?
You ready?
Let's have them.
Here we go, Charlie.
[ Laughter ]
TESSITORE: What a move that is by Charlie. RIGGLE: Oh!
That's his signature move.
It's a flex. It's like when, uh, uh,
Schwarzenegger went into the crab
back in Mr. Olympus days.
[ Judges murmuring indistinctly ]
Charlie!
BROWN: Hi, baby!
Bellerina, our Best in Talking,
come on forward!
TESSITORE: Bellerina.
Bellerina, 9 years old. She weighs 25 pounds.
,-She's so impressive. -Well, she speaks English.
She does. She speaks.
SIMONS: Why don't we take a look at the monitor
-and see her talking video? -[ Kelsie laughing ]
KELSIE: I love you. Do you love me? Speak.
Say, "I love you." Speak.
[ Gravelly whining ]
ABDUL: Oh, my God. -KELSIE: I love you, too, baby.
Can you say, "Hello"?
[ Bellerina yowling "Hello" ]
Good job.
Man: Oh! Wow!
-Aww! -Aww!
TESSITORE: Incredible to see the reaction
of the celebrity judges, because Yvette Nicole Brown
reacting exactly the way that we did.
-I love you. -I love you.
JORDAN: I love you.
Love you.
TESSITORE: When you listen to Bellerina,
and she repeats, "I love you,"
-and repeats, "Hello"... -And "Hello," yes.
...it's mind-blowing.
I'm going to go over and spend a little time
with our Couch Potato, Biff!
So Terry Simons will spend time with Biff.
So, I understand he kind of likes to be cat-like
-Yes. -and get up here on the --
-Can he do that for us tonight? -Let's see.
Remember, Biff had a dominating performance
in Best in Couch Potato when Biff made the decision,
"I'm going up to the top of the pillow."
-SIMONS: Hi. -JORDAN: [ Laughs ]
You wanna lie down?
[ Cheers and applause ]
♪♪
RIGGLE: Biff in a bit of a dilemma right now.
-[ Whistle ] -[ Laughter ]
[ All laughing ]
-RIGGLE: Not sure how to play it. -SIMONS: It's okay.
I get performance anxiety -- There we go.
-RIGGLE: Aww! -TESSITORE: There he goes.
-That is classic couch potato. -RIGGLE: Absolutely.
Sorry, Biff, you gotta get up off the couch.
Aw man, that's it!
And now Biff has to begrudgingly come off the couch
for a moment to go say hello to the celebrity judges.
Hi, sweetie.
Yeah.
-Hi, Biff. -Hi, sweetie.
TESSITORE: What do you think is going through Biff's mind right now
as he's up for Best in Rescue?
I think he's feeling pretty good.
He -- He -- He did what he came to do,
which was show everybody
nobody lounges on a couch like Biff.
TESSITORE: Those are the sensational seven
who have won their categories
to become semifinalist winners
for "The American Rescue Dog Show,"
Best in Rescue.
So much on the line here --
of course, the pride in the title of Best in Rescue,
but also, a $100,000 donation
to be made to a rescue organization.
The intensity in this room is palpable.
All eyes on our rescue dogs,
the judges deliberating over our winner for Best in Rescue.
RIGGLE: But we really like to tease this part out.
So we're going to take a break right now
before we tell you who it is,
even though I totally know who it is.
You don't know who it is. You don't know who the winner is.
Technically, but deep down, I know.
He doesn't know. He does not know who the winner is.
It's "The American Rescue Dog Show,"
and we will have the winner after this.
♪♪
[ Person whistles, dog barks ]
TESSITORE: We welcome you back to
"The American Rescue Dog Show."
It's been an incredible path
to get to this point, hasn't it been?
RIGGLE: Absolutely.
One of these seven will soon be named Best in Rescue.
♪♪
-You're really good at that. -Am I really?
-Really good. -Oh, you're so sweet.
Thank you so much.
[ Charlie Hound barks ]
We have to thank our friends at Petco Love
for providing tonight's grants.
We want to thank the rescue organizations
and all the families that participated,
and every single person watching out there
who does their part to help animals in need --
those who rescue, foster, or volunteer.
We hope tonight's competition has inspired all of you
to rescue a dog of your own.
And now our judge for Best in Rescue,
Terry Simons.
First of all,
we want to thank all of you for being here,
especially the dogs.
[ Cheers and applause ]
This was a difficult decision for all of us.
But...
every one of you here has a special gift.
And you've shared that special gift with us tonight.
So thank you
for making us all smile
-and touching our hearts. -ABDUL: Yes.
While you are all winners,
there can only be one
Best in Rescue champion.
I'm so excited, Joe. I can't believe
it's about to actually happen.
TESSITORE: Now it all comes down to this moment.
Six division winners standing,
and then Biff still on the couch.
The 2022 Best in Rescue is...
♪♪
...Capone!
TESSITORE and RIGGLE: Capone!
RIGGLE: Oh, my gosh!
It was Capone!
TESSITORE: Best in Snoring is Best in Rescue.
RIGGLE: How about that, Joe?!
Unbelievable!
ARTURO: Over here, over here, over here, over here.
What a night for Capone!
TESSITORE: Can you believe that?
With the rumbling, earth-shaking snoring
and that incredible spirit,
Capone, the pit bull,
-is Best in Rescue. -SIMONS: And you get that trophy, too.
RIGGLE: [ Laughing ] ELISHA: Oh, my God.
♪♪
ELISHA: Oh, my God. That is so awesome.
-So good, buddy! -Congratulations!
Thank you so much.
-SIMONS: Congratulations. -Thank you. Thank you.
TESSITORE: Capone, who was found
on the streets of Jacksonville, Florida,
and found a great foster mom...
...through the San Diego Humane Society.
RIGGLE: Already drinking the champagne out of the winner's bowl.
Oh!
TESSITORE: Many kisses for celebrity judge Paula Abdul,
as a $100,000 donation will be made
in honor of Capone.
What a night. That's our show, everybody.
We will see you next time.
For "American Rescue Dog Show," I'm Rob Riggle.
And I'm Joe Tessitore.
And remember, everyone...
TOGETHER: Adopt, don't shop!
-That was awesome. -That was great.
Capone. Let's celebrate, my friend.
Wow!
[ Cheers and applause ]
♪♪
-MAN: Bark. - [ Dog panting ]