(Photo by kitty.green66)

For two hours on Saturday afternoon, the Columbia Heights Recreation Center will no longer be a mere gymnasium. It will be a puppy pitch, a canine court, a field for Fido. Ok, fine, we’ll stop now.

May we present the IRL embodiment of scrolling through cute animal pics on Instagram: the D.C. Puppy World Cup.

The Department of Parks and Recreation is hosting the event following a “Puppy Bowl” in February, modeled after Animal Planet’s Super Bowl alternative.

It was the first time that the city agency held an event specifically centered around dogs, and they weren’t quite sure how it would go. They needn’t have worried.

“Folks love their dogs. I got there about 2 [when the event started] and I couldn’t get in the building,” said DPR Director Keith Anderson. “When I say it was filled to capacity, it was filled to capacity.”

DPR estimates that about 600 people came out to the festivities, with 20 puppies and another 50 or 60 adult dogs in attendance.

“You know an event is successful when the mayor stops by and it’s not on her calendar,” Anderson says. They plan to reprise the Puppy Bowl next year and make it an annual tradition.

So when the World Cup came around, the agency saw another opportunity to rally the pooches.

Puppies must be no older than 20 weeks (they must also have all their shots and be registered in D.C.) are eligible to join the soccer team rosters. DPR will have dog-sized jerseys on hand that represent various countries.

Residents can also bring along their adult dogs, who will have a seperate indoor area to frolic around in.

“Dog ownership in the city is increasing,” Anderson says. “Part of our job is to make sure that we provide universal access to parks and recreation services, but that means for everyone. … This is a way for DPR to involve literally the entire family, to include Fido.”

As part of the event, DPR is partnering with the Mayor’s Office of the Clean City to promote the “Pride is Picking Up” campaign to encourage pet owners to, you know, scoop up poop. Other city agencies and animal-focused businesses will also be on hand.

Anderson says he expects the event to be another smash hit.

“Folks just had a wonderful time [at the Puppy Bowl]. It was a really feel-good event,” he says. “The only hiccup was that I got licked in the mouth by a little puppy.”

The D.C. Puppy World Cup will take place on Saturday, July 21 from 2 – 4 p.m. at the Columbia Heights Recreation Center (1480 Girard Street NW). Attendance is free, RSVP your pup here.