This can’t be real life, but when it involves PETA, you can most certainly believe if it’s something to complain about, they will find it and complain about it.
The animal rights organization is calling to ban live-animal mascots after UT Austin’s Bevo charged Georgia’s bulldog mascot Uga at just before Tuesday’s Allstate Sugar Bowl.
Ahead of the game, Bevo suddenly charged at his barriers, pushing spectators and photographers out of the way as well as Uga the Bulldog and his handlers running away from Bevo’s horns.
According to PETA, the incident could have been a potentially life-ending tragedy for the individuals and Uga standing in the Longhorn’s path.
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“Steers, like all animals, are individuals with unique personalities. It’s quite possible that Bevo was simply scared by the noise, lights, and chaos in the stadium and tried to flee from the confines of his makeshift pen. But that doesn’t change the fact that Uga or any of the humans standing nearby could easily have been trampled and killed.
Live animals used as mascots, such as Baylor University’s bears and the University of North Alabama’s lions, are held in captivity and often denied the opportunity to fulfill many of their most basic instincts. They’re frequently carted around to sporting events and public appearances, which are confusing and frightening for them. Human mascots can engage with sports fans, pose for pictures, lead cheers, and pump up their teams and fans much better than a terrified animal can. They’re also much less expensive for schools, and some universities offer scholarships for student mascots.
If your favorite team is still forcing live animals to serve as mascots, please send a polite e-mail to its fundraising or community-outreach committee urging it to use willing human participants instead.”
Both Texas and Georgia use human mascots as well, and both were in attendance at the game Tuesday.
