WYOMING –Following a brief episode on live TV between the Georgia and Texas animal mascots—Uga X and Bevo XV, respectively—People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) is calling for all live animal mascots to be banned.
Who knew PETA even watched college football?
In all fairness, the organization has done some outstanding work as a watchdog (excuse the pun) agency for the rights of the voiceless. For every back chutes video of a bucking horse PETA says is being mistreated with a hotshot there is the undercover footage of some truly atrocious conduct and conditions at processing plants, pig farms, or hen houses.
The incident at the Tuesday’s Allstate Sugar Bowl was rather benign but it served as a lead-in for PETA to start the conversation about eliminating live animals as mascots.
“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,” PETA stated in its website. “[Live animals used as mascots are] 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.”
PETA has reportedly emailed all colleges still using an animal mascot asking that they discontinue the practice.
Are they coming for Cowboy Joe?
Could an argument be made that Baylor’s bears or North Alabama’s lions—both caged and captive at football games—are being exploited in an unfair manner? Perhaps.
But what of the Pokes’ Shetland pony Cowboy Joe? Surely a more pampered pony has never trotted its way around War Memorial Stadium. Five such pony mascots have served the university since the tradition began in 1950.
Legend has it the Farthing family discovered the first Cowboy Joe orphaned and in bad shape. They nursed him back to health and donated the pony to UW. A Cowboy Joe has been with the football team ever since, traveling to all games and running a lap every time the Pokes score a touchdown.
The original Cowboy Joe retired in 1965. The Farthing family donated another pony from their ranch to serve as Cowboy Joe II. That pony served until 1981. The current mascot is Cowboy Joe V. He took over in 2013 and was immediately voted the Cutest Mascot in College Football.
According to his handlers, Cowboy Joe is a typical Shetland pony. He has his days when he simply has had enough with the primping and grooming. But he’s always gentle with kids and on his best behavior for game day. As Laramie Live’s Rick Roddam pointed out recently, “To date, he’s never attacked another mascot, including a few times when Cam the Ram was asking for it.”
