‘That’s just his face:’ Fans pan PETA for calling Georgia bulldog mascot ‘miserable’
University of Georgia fans aren’t happy that PETA called the school’s beloved mascot “miserable.”
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, known as PETA, tweeted a CBS Sports video of the bulldog, Uga X, at the Texas A&M football game on Saturday, saying he looked “miserable” and that the school’s athletic department should retire him.
“No dog deserves to be packed up, carted from state to state, and paraded in front of a stadium full of screaming fans,” the tweet said.
And fans didn’t appreciate it.
The tweet had more than 4,000 replies as of Tuesday afternoon, mostly from Georgia fans coming to Uga’s defense.
“That’s just his face,” one person tweeted. “He’s a bulldog.”
“It’s raining,” another said. “Everyone looked like that.”
Others fired back, saying the dog is treated well and has a great life.
“That dog lives a better life than most people,” one person said. “He’s loved and adored by thousands of people. I think he enjoys his life.”
“I would love to be Uga for a day,” another tweeted.
The University of Georgia did not have a response to PETA’s tweet on Tuesday afternoon.
But the school’s website says Uga has an air conditioned on-field dog house next to the cheerleader’s platform that provides “comfort in the heat of August and September.”
Uga X’s nine predecessors, all from the same line, are buried in marble vaults near the main gate of the stadium’s South stands, the school’s website says.
“Epitaphs to the dogs are inscribed in bronze, and before each home game, flowers are placed on their graves,” the website says.
Each of the dogs has lived with a family in Savannah, the website says, and a video of Uga in his home was tweeted in response to PETA.
Uga was named the greatest mascot in college football history in August by Sports Illustrated, McClatchy news group reported.
