Kulturkampf

[benji]

PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) was highly concerned to see that Bevo would be attending the Cotton Bowl Classic at the AT&T Stadium this Friday. After being banned from the SEC Championship game in December and the Peach Bowl on New Year’s Day because of safety and sideline space issues, it is wildly irresponsible to allow him to attend the Cotton Bowl Classic. We urge you to bar this senseless and dangerous stunt.

Bevo deserves to spend his days grazing with his herd. Being forced into a stadium full of bright lights, screaming fans, and frightening noises is stressful—even terrifying—for sensitive, intelligent animals like longhorns, and this stress could cause Bevo to react in ways that might result in injury to himself or others, as we saw back in 2019 when he charged Uga at the Sugar Bowl.

The public increasingly opposes using live animals as “spectacles” at sporting events. This is evidenced by the recent LSU debacle where a live tiger was carted out in a cage to a football game. Following the event, the student government unanimously passed a resolution pushing LSU leadership to ban all live tigers.

Ethical, professional teams like the Dallas Cowboys use costumed human mascots rather than animals. Rowdy and other human mascots can safely ride four-wheelers, toss t-shirts to the crowd, and mock opponents—all things a frightened animal can’t do.

Please consider the fear and stress Bevo will no doubt experience on Friday and the danger you put all players, staff, cheerleaders, media, and fans in by allowing a 1,700-pound longhorn steer on the sidelines.