A pregame photo opportunity for the live mascots of the Texas Longhorns and Georgia Bulldogs quickly went awry at the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans on Tuesday night.
In response, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) once again placed a call to action for the end of live animal mascots at sporting events.
The request from PETA comes as, prior to kickoff, the two mascots were scheduled to meet on the sidelines. As hoards of photographers lurked near the barricade of Bevo, the Texas mascot, a handler brought over Uga, the University of Georgia bulldog named after the school's initials, UGA. As he neared the barricade, Bevo made a lunging dash at Uga, prompting a quick retreat from the dog, a few photographers flailing away and Bevo's handlers immediately diffusing the situation.
No people or animals were hurt during the encounter.
Though just a footnote prior to the game, videos of the dustup swarmed social media. Now, CBS Austin is reporting PETA wants to end live-game mascot appearances for sporting events after a "near tragedy" in New Orleans.
"This frightening near-tragedy is yet another example of the reason most colleges and professional sports teams retired their live-animal mascots decades ago — and the handful who haven't yet should quickly follow suit," the PETA statement said. "Uga or any of the humans standing nearby could easily have been trampled and killed."
Texas responded by saying the school handled Bevo in a responsible way, and that the university is not to blame.
"All established safety and security measures were in place for Bevo," said University of Texas spokesman John Bianco, who's seen his share of Bevos and coaches during his time in Austin. Bianco told the Associated Press at the game that Bevo had two halters, two chains, and six handlers to hold him.
During pre-game coverage on ESPN, commentators talked about how "cute" Uga X was, and commented on things like the dog's sweater — complete with Sugar Bowl patch — and the fact the bulldog drank water from a bottle and rode in a golf cart cooled by a fan.
The panel went berserk when they saw Bevo get rowdy and show his dominance over the dog, much like the Texas team later did in their 28-21 win over Georgia.
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