Most people have lost interest in Super Bowl XLIX by now. Those tense final moments are left to history. Seattle's questionable final call is no longer topic number one. The nachos are nixed and the potato skins are toast. I, however, am still gloating. You see, the Patriots might have been the official winners, but the real champions came in canine form. Dogs ruled the day.

Let's look at the stats. Budweiser's "Lost Dog" ad took top honors in numerous polls, leaving other ads in the dust. It's not the first time. Budweiser has hit it out of the ballpark with previous dog-centric ads, as have many other brands. People love puppies. Marketers have known this since Nipper bonded with a gramophone for RCA and a cocker spaniel tugged on a little girl's bathing suit for Coppertone. Dogs are effective in ads for pretty obvious reasons. We're cute, so people look at us. We pull heartstrings. We're aligned with loyalty and trust. It's pretty basic -- "barketing" works.

This year, however, something unusual happened. GoDaddy decided to venture beyond the pale … and they took a dog with them. Bad move. Counting on viewers to find humor in a Budweiser spoof, GoDaddy proudly released its Super Bowl commercial on the Today Show and online days before the game. The ad featured a lost puppy finally finding its way home, only to be tossed back on a delivery truck, having been sold online through a GoDaddy website. Expecting hilarity to ensue, they miscalculated the backlash by a mile. Ordinary people joined vocal animal rights groups in a resounding hiss of disapproval. Just like that, GoDaddy was issuing an apology and replacing a $4.5 million ad. Ouch.

It seems that people are getting the message. Political pressure to ban the unethical selling of animals is intense. Organizations large and small are working tirelessly to ban puppy mills and place restrictions on breeders. There is a movement afoot, and in 2015, the cause made it into the conversation around the Super Bowl. Good news, indeed.

Meanwhile, Puppy Bowl XI, Animal Planet's beloved lead-up to the Super Bowl, won the top cable spot (excluding sports) on Super Bowl Sunday, with 10.4 million viewers. Even better, the event partnered with rescue groups and shelters. This year's show was directly responsible for approximately 425 adoptions, according to Animal Planet. All participating animals were up for adoption, with the hope that viewers will think about rescue first when they consider bringing animals into their homes.

There is much work to be done in an effort to educate people about the importance of treating animals humanely and supporting rescue. There is no question, however, that great strides are being made. When dogs dominate the airwaves on Super Bowl Sunday, not just for their advertising chops, but for their welfare, it's a brand new day.

I would like to mention a couple of things before closing. In no way did I intend to be dismissive of cats in this article. My feline friends get plenty of attention too, owning the internet as they do. And I also did not mean to snub those amazing Clydesdales that starred with the Bud pup. I love and advocate for all animals. People need to coexist with all species in peace and harmony on this planet. The one exception being that useless squirrel who torments me through the window on a daily basis. I refuse to advocate for him. I am a terrier, after all.

Albert, a Jack Russell Terrier, is Chairman of the Board of Wylie Wagg, a shop for dogs, cats, and their people, in Middleburg, Fairfax, Falls Church, Arlington, and Woodley Park.