Watch as Battersea rescue mutts stage pitch invasion in live video game

Eight computer-generated dogs, all avatars of real dogs in need of new homes, streaked onto the field during a live-streamed football video game.

The invasion was part of a heartwarming campaign from Pedigree and Battersea Dogs & Cats Home, designed to give rescues a second chance at finding their forever family.

Viewers and gamers watched the flash mob stop the game on the live-streaming esports and video platform Twitch.

Battersea’s furry crew was led by computer-generated Billy, Larry and Teddy. All of the squad have real-life counterparts waiting for a new home.

Twitch gamer Bateson87, real name Jamie Bateson, said, "I’ve always backed an underdog’s comeback—whether it’s bringing a player back into the team, supporting them to achieve epic wins in FC, or seeing a rescue dog get a second chance. The underDOGS campaign is such an amazing idea because it reminds us that comebacks are possible for anyone—or any dog—with love, time, and effort."

Despite growing interest in pet ownership, new research from Pedigree has revealed that rescue dogs are still being left on the bench.

Thankfully Gen Z gamers aged 18 to 30 have emerged as unexpected champions, with 32% adopting a canine companion and 85% saying they’d consider it, compared to 70% of non-gaming peers.

The survey debunks outdated ideas about who rescue dogs are ‘right’ for with gaming traits like responsibility (59%), patience (55%), commitment (53%), strategy (31%) and problem-solving (25%) — also being great dog ownership.

Battersea Dogs & Cats Rehoming Manager Sofia Papaloizou, says, “Owning a dog can be incredibly rewarding but does require a lot of commitment, training and patience – all things that are needed for gaming too.

“Rescue dogs are incredibly special and it’s great to hear that so many gamers are already enjoying the wonderful companionship of a rescue pet.

“We hope that this campaign will not only help find a home for the dogs involved but also showcase how unique every rescue dog is and inspire more people to consider adoption when looking to get a pet in the future.”

Despite growing enthusiasm for pet ownership, less than half (48%) of Gen Z have adopted a dog with misconceptions about breeds and ages available still prevalent.

Pedigree and Battersea hope to challenge this by proving that rescue dogs can be just as loyal, loving and life-changing as any pedigree pup.

Pedigree’s -Brand Director, Ed Owen, added: “Everyone loves a comeback story. And we love telling the stories of these 15 dogs looking for a new home.

“At Pedigree, championing rescue dogs is part of our purpose and our DNA, we’ve broken new ground with this campaign by creating canine avatars to reach new potential pet parents.

“Whilst this campaign has a fun side, there is a serious purpose behind it all – we want as many rescue dogs to be rehomed as possible to the right home and to challenge the misconceptions young people have of the sorts of dogs in rescue centres like Battersea.”

To meet the stars of the E-Doption campaign and find out which dogs are still looking for homes, visit here. Or check out all the incredible pets awaiting homes at Battersea here.

Not in a position to adopt right now? You can still support rescue pets by donating to Battersea Dogs & Cats Home here.