Puppies named after Winnipeg Jets players at shelter

A Winnipeg pet shelter has named some of its puppies after Winnipeg Jets players, in an effort to encourage the city's NHL fans to take the little canines home.

The Winnipeg Pet Rescue Shelter on Portage Avenue has traded typical puppy names like Rover, Spot and Fido for well-known players' names like Ladd, Byfuglien, Wheeler and Wellwood.

Nearly 30 of the puppies have been adopted since the promotion started earlier this month, shelter staffer Michelle Caughy told CBC News.

"This has definitely been, by far, our best promotion that we've ever done for the shelter," Caughy said Wednesday.

"Everybody's so excited to have the Jets back into town, and so we kind of fed off that a little bit, and our feedback with regards to adoptions and publicity has been incredible."

Eighty per cent of those who have adopted the Jets puppies are keeping the hockey-themed names, Caughy said.

Female puppies have feminized versions of the players' names, like "Buffy" instead of Byfuglien.

The shelter currently hopes someone will take home a 7½-week-old golden retriever cross named after Jets head coach Claude Noel.

"Very laid back, just like the coach," Caughy said of Claude the puppy.