Uga X has been the University of Georgia's beloved mascot since 2015. Today, PETA once again called for the English bulldog's retirement.
"HE LOOKS MISERABLE!" according to a tweet from the animal rights organization. "No dog deserves to be packed up, carted from state to state, and paraded in front of a stadium full of screaming fans."
PETA also encouraged the dog's retirement in January, after Bevo XV, the steer mascot of the University of Texas at Austin, charged the pup during the Sugar Bowl. Part of the organization's motto includes, "Animals are not ours to use for entertainment."
"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," PETA said in a letter to the university earlier this year. "The public doesn't want to see animals used as props or forced to perform."
Additionally, English bulldogs have developed myriad health conditions due to inbreeding — including breathing difficulties, hip dysplasia and heart disorders — which can be exacerbated by travel and going to games.
