PETA: UGA Mascot Uga 'Looks Miserable,' Should Be Retired

ATHENS, GA — The University of Georgia mascot, Uga the bulldog, has come under fire from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, or PETA, which said the dog looked miserable during a recent football game.

The animal rights organization tweeted Monday afternoon that, "No dog deserves to be packed up, carted from state to state, and paraded in front of a stadium full of screaming fans. Animals are NOT mascots. @UGAAthletics must retire Uga immediately! He should be at home with a loving family."

Uga X, known as "Que," has been Georgia's mascot since 2015, WSB-TV reported. "He's the latest in a line of dogs that dates back to 1956 when Uga I, "Hood's Ole Dan," first took the field for the home opener against Florida State," the station said.

The Twitter community quickly responded by saying that Uga is treated very well.

Another person said, "UGA made sure his house has A/C, he flies first class and he has his own hotel room. But the University doesn’t own him. His human owner brings him to the game’s. They drive up from Savannah, GA."

One person said Uga is "the most pampered dog in the country," to which the "Official UGA" account replied, "yes I am! Thank you!"

In January, PETA also encouraged Uga's retirement after Bevo XV, a steer used as a mascot by the University of Texas at Austin, charged at Uga at the Sugar Bowl. PETA said it "sent letters urging both schools to end their use of live-animal mascots."

“It’s indefensible to subject animals to the stress of being packed up, carted from state to state, and paraded in front of a stadium full of screaming fans,” PETA Senior Vice President Lisa Lange said in a press release. “It’s no surprise that a skittish steer would react to a perceived threat by charging, and PETA is calling on the University of Texas and the University of Georgia to learn from this dangerous incident, retire their live-animal mascots, and stick to the talented costumed mascots who can lead cheers, react to the crowd, and pump up the team.”

PETA said its motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to use for entertainment.”

UGA alumna Emily R. Trunnell wrote a letter to UGA President Jere W. Morehead that said while she is proud of her alma mater for many reasons, a live mascot is not one of them.

"Dogs deserve better than to be shuffled from game to game as if they were sporting equipment," Trunnell wrote. "Being forced into a stadium full of bright lights, screaming fans, and frightening noises is stressful — even terrifying — for sensitive animals like dogs, who would much rather be at home with their loving guardians."

Bulldogs such as Uga are also predisposed to congenital ailments because of inbreeding and being bred for distorted physical features, she wrote.

"Many of these dogs struggle with severe breathing difficulties, hip dysplasia, and, as shown in the Uga lineage, heart disorders. Poor ventilation and hot or humid weather can be deadly for bulldogs, and traveling — as Uga is forced to do frequently — is especially taxing on these dogs.
The public doesn’t want to see animals used as props or forced to perform — as evidenced by Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus’ closure and SeaWorld’s decision to end its orca-breeding program. Many schools have retired their animal mascots."

Most universities and professional sports teams use costumed human mascots instead of real animals, Trunnell wrote.

"Not only is this humane, it also means that the mascots can lead cheers, react to the crowd, and pump up the team—all things that a frightened animal can’t do. Please, in light of (the near-miss in January), won’t you join them and bring UGA into the future by retiring Uga and pledging not to use real animals as mascots?"

Do you agree that universities should not have live animal mascots? Tell us in the comments.