Giullana Groth, a cheerleader for the West Virginia Mountaineers, snuggled with a puppy at the puppy lounge put on by Best Friends Animal Society, who teamed up with the Big 12 Conference and The Humane Society of Greater Kansas City to help shelter puppies find homes by sponsoring the puppy lounge at the Big 12 Men’s Basketball Tournament on Wednesday, March 12, 2025, in Kansas City.
Tammy Ljungblad
tljungblad@kcstar.com
Come for the basketball. Go home with a puppy.
That’s an option at this year’s Big 12 Basketball Championships tournaments played in Kansas City thanks to a group called Best Friends Animal Society. The group, an advocate for pet adoptions is based in Kanab, Utah, and has partnered with the Big 12 to help find forever homes for pets that are up for adoption.
A booth was set up at the Big 12 FanFest during the women’s tournament last week and open this week at T-Mobile Center for the men’s tournament so basketball fans can meet adoptable pets provided by Best Friend partners The Humane Society of Greater Kansas City.
On Wednesday, fans, students and cheerleaders representing some of the Big 12 teams could be seen cuddling puppies at the tournament. Best Friends set up what they are calling a “tunnel cuddle lounge” with the pets, a place where players could drop by to get some puppy loving before they headed to the courts. The Star did not see any players taking the opportunity while we were there.
Tyler Banks, left, master of ceremonies for the Men’s Big 12 Basketball Tournament, joined Lindsay Fitz and Cindy McLaughlin of Best Friends Animal Society in holding shelter puppies on the court on Wednesday, March 12, 2025, during the Big 12 Men’s Basketball Tournament at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City. Tammy Ljungblad tljungblad@kcstar.com
The puppies have also been stars of the tournament when Big 12 tournament master of ceremonies Tyler Banks and representatives of Best Friends have taken some of them onto the court to promote adoptions in front of the T-Mobile Center crowd.
Along with finding homes for pets, Best Friends advocates for providing no-kill shelters for animals in need of homes. Fans attending the tournament can register to win a trip to visit the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Utah. The group claims the Utah facility is the nation’s largest animal companion sanctuary. The advocacy group will host more pet adoption promotions at other Big 12 championship events throughout 2025.
Bryanna Wilkins, 6, of Raytown, got a wet puppy kiss when she stopped by the puppy lounge at the Big 12 Men’s Basketball Tournament on Wednesday, March 12, 2025, at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City. Bryanna was at the event with her uncle, Jerome Wilkins of Raytown. Tammy Ljungblad tljungblad@kcstar.com
Members of the Baylor Bears band stopped for some puppy snuggles as Best Friends Animal Society teamed up with the Big 12 Conference and the. All of the puppies on hand Wednesday were adopted. Tammy Ljungblad tljungblad@kcstar.com
Best Friends Animal Society teamed up with the Big 12 Conference and The Humane Society of Greater Kansas City to help puppies find homes by sponsoring a puppy lounge at the Big 12 Men’s Basketball Tournament at the T-Mobile Center on Wednesday, March 12, 2025, in Kansas City. Tammy Ljungblad tljungblad@kcstar.com
Cindy McLaughlin of Best Friends Animal Society held onto one of the puppies up for adoption at the Big 12 basketball tournament Wednesday, March 12, 2025, at T-Mobile Center in Kansas City. Tammy Ljungblad tljungblad@kcstar.com
Members of the Colorado Buffaloes cheerleading squad posed with shelter puppies sponsored for adoption by Best Friends Animal Society at the Big 12 Men’s Basketball Tournament at the T-Mobile Center on Wednesday, March 12, 2025, in Kansas City. Tammy Ljungblad tljungblad@kcstar.com
Cheerleaders for the Colorado Buffaloes, including Jackie Ocken, center, shared snuggles with puppies at a puppy lounge put on by Best Friends Animal Society, who teamed up with the Big 12 Conference and The Humane Society of Greater Kansas City to help shelter puppies find homes by at the Big 12 Men’s Basketball Tournament on Wednesday, March 12, 2025, in Kansas City. Tammy Ljungblad tljungblad@kcstar.com
Tyler Banks, master of ceremony for the Men’s Big 12 Basketball Tournament, held a shelter puppy court side Wednesday, March 13, 2025, at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City. Best Friends Animal Society of Kanab, Utah, teamed up with the Big 12 Conference The Humane Society of Greater Kansas City to sponsor the event and spur adoptions. All the puppies on hand Wednesday were adopted. Tammy Ljungblad tljungblad@kcstar.com
This story was originally published March 13, 2025 at 2:38 PM.
Tammy Ljungblad, at The Kansas City Star, since 1989, is a photojournalist producing videos and storytelling photographs covering a wide range of topics including the Kansas City Chiefs, breaking news, in-depth stories and personality profiles. She is also a FAA licensed drone pilot.Support my work with a digital subscription
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