Georgia mascot Uga VIII dies
University of Georgia President Michael Adams places a collar on Uga VIII before the Oct. 16 homecoming game. (AJC photo by Brant Sanderlin)
ATHENS – Uga VIII died Friday, at not quite 17 months old and after only a half-season as the University of Georgia mascot.
The white English bulldog was diagnosed early last month with lymphoma, a common cancer in dogs.
“We all mourn the loss of Uga VIII, and our thoughts and prayers are with the Seiler family at this time,” said Georgia athletic director Greg McGarity, referring to the Frank W. “Sonny” Seiler family of Savannah, long-time owners of the Uga line of mascots.
Uga VIII, born Sept. 12, 2009, took over as the Bulldogs’ mascot at the Oct. 16, 2010, homecoming football game against Vanderbilt in Sanford Stadium. He served for the final six games of the regular season but did not travel to Memphis for the Liberty Bowl because of what was thought at the time to be a gastrointestinal condition.
After the cancer diagnosis, Uga VIII began chemotherapy treatments, which veterinarians hoped would extend his life.
Uga VIII died Friday morning, according to Georgia senior associate athletic director Claude Felton. A funeral service has not been scheduled, Felton said.
“Russ,” the six-year-old half-brother of the late Uga VII, again will serve as the Georgia mascot on an interim basis, according to the Seiler family. After the November 2009 death of Uga VII from heart-related causes, Russ filled in for the final two games of that season and the first six of 2010, as well as at the Liberty Bowl.
Uga VIII, whose registered name was “Big Bad Bruce,” was the great-great-great-great-great-grandson of the original Uga.
– Tim Tucker, UGA Blog
Note: Commenting is now closed. You may express condolences at our Uga VIII guestbook
Also: A dog’s life: All about Uga VIII | Photos of Georgia’s Uga mascots
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
89 comments Add your comment
Dunwoody Dawg
February 4th, 2011
5:07 pm
FIRST
Barkin'Dog
February 4th, 2011
5:07 pm
This is incredibly sad news. Rest in peace UGA.
Dunwoody Dawg
February 4th, 2011
5:08 pm
Very sad news. I feel for the Seilers for losing another beloved family pet too soon.
TXDawg
February 4th, 2011
5:09 pm
All UGAs are Damn Good Dawgs!! Rest in Peace.
Asheville Dawg
February 4th, 2011
5:10 pm
Just make Russ the mascot. Oh, wait he was there for the bowl game. We need a new UGA. I guess last years team claims another.
SKB
February 4th, 2011
5:10 pm
Why can’t we getting healthier dogs? This is sad..
When we GATA we GETA
February 4th, 2011
5:11 pm
RIP Bruce we love you
TXDawg
February 4th, 2011
5:11 pm
Dunwoody, you get a demerit for claiming FIRST on a death announcement for our beloved UGA…shame on you!! Borderline inconsiderate.
D A DoubleU G
February 4th, 2011
5:11 pm
RIP Little buddy.
But seriously…. what is the deal Sonny Seiler???
Before all the Techies jump on here and tell us the dogs are inbred, can we get an explanation as to what is going on to have these dogs so unhealthy??
I know they are a breed very prone to illness at a young age, but the last two Sonny has designated full time mascot have not lasted a full season.
Very sad news, and my condolences to the Seilers. While Uga is our mascot, he is also their pet. But maybe PETA is looking more and more correct…….
GO DAWGS!!
Yellow Jacket
February 4th, 2011
5:12 pm
This is a sad day as a dog lover. From a Tech fan, The University of Georgia and it’s fans have my condolences.
Jack
February 4th, 2011
5:12 pm
What sad news,,,,, he was just another in a long line of GREAT DAWGS,,,,
THE
February 4th, 2011
5:12 pm
What is wrong with that breeding line? It may be time to introduce some new genes.
MaconBulldog.
February 4th, 2011
5:13 pm
Really?!?!?!?!? I really hate this. I mean that is twice. We need to keep Russ. FULL TIME!!!
MS Bully
February 4th, 2011
5:13 pm
RIP Uga!!
Beast from the East
February 4th, 2011
5:13 pm
Sad news. Need to look for another blood-line at this point?
dawg girl
February 4th, 2011
5:14 pm
RIP Big Bad Bruce this is so sad. If you jerks had a live mascot you may be able to understand. This is VERY sad. He may be a dog but he was someone’s pet too!
UGA Student
February 4th, 2011
5:15 pm
the dog is Uga, UGA is the abbreviation for the university of georgia
ak21
February 4th, 2011
5:15 pm
not to be disrespectful here, but i think it’s time for a new bloodline. these poor dogs are dying too fast. the inbreeding keeps the uga “tradition” alive, but it doesn’t keep the dogs alive.
Michael
February 4th, 2011
5:15 pm
what about the little puppy who was on ESPNU the other night?
“Isaiah’s Best”, aka Uga IX
cuz obviously this family isnt working
82Dawg
February 4th, 2011
5:15 pm
Maybe we can get the Crowell had at his signing….
harvey marion
February 4th, 2011
5:16 pm
ak21. YES.
Michael
February 4th, 2011
5:16 pm
Isaiah Crowell had a cute li’l bulldog pup with him at the signing. We got a twofer!
Cigar Guy
February 4th, 2011
5:16 pm
Tiger and I will smoke one for Uga tonight.
D A DoubleU G
February 4th, 2011
5:16 pm
Why doesn’t the University tell the Seilers “Thanks but no thanks”, and adopt that ADORABLE puppy that Isaiah Crowell held up at his announcement.
82Dawg
February 4th, 2011
5:16 pm
“one”
NapaDog12
February 4th, 2011
5:17 pm
Dang it can we stop gettin defective dogs?
Chaz
February 4th, 2011
5:17 pm
I have seen these poor dogs die one after another..Something isn’t right here…I think we need PETA to investigate!!!!!!
Think I will send a email!
boots
February 4th, 2011
5:17 pm
So sorry to hear this. Bruce was one of the nicer dawgs, too. Good size, look and tempermant. He was a DGD.
Zoobs
February 4th, 2011
5:19 pm
Get Crowells bulldawg
BornInAthens
February 4th, 2011
5:20 pm
Oh, UGA!! So sad!! Damn Good Dog! Go the the Rainbow Bridge!! Watch over your Dawgs forever!!!
Norcross Bulldog
February 4th, 2011
5:20 pm
Damn good dawg!
Richie_Rich86
February 4th, 2011
5:21 pm
What in the world is going on with the UGA line? RIP UGA VIII
Unknown Hinson
February 4th, 2011
5:23 pm
What in the world is going on with these dogs lately?? Maybe time to find a new line breeder. I know Bulldogs have health problems but this is getting kind of crazy
Will truly miss Bruce
February 4th, 2011
5:23 pm
Though there might be problems in the bloodlines, Bruce having lymphoma was bad luck. He was still like a puppy and the only thing he did wrong was steal the heart of anyone who spent anytime with him. He was very sweet and adorable and will truly be missed!
Dunwoody Dawg
February 4th, 2011
5:23 pm
Folks, Uga VIII had lymphoma, Uga VII died of heart failure…these are not significant risks of in-breeding. The first six generations of Ugas lived long and healthy lives. The Seilers know what they are doing, don’t try to armchair dog breed as they mourn the loss of a family pet.
Dbalcer
February 4th, 2011
5:23 pm
RIP UGA!!
Sam
February 4th, 2011
5:25 pm
Dunwoody Dog, the American Kennel Club still disagrees with you.
DJC
February 4th, 2011
5:25 pm
I can’t believe this is front page news on the AJC. Really?…….
Big Bubba
February 4th, 2011
5:25 pm
WOW…we may need to try a ceramic dawg….
Wat Wat Wat
February 4th, 2011
5:25 pm
Poor little dude. rip.
not a UGA guy, but they represent the state. And i love bulldogs.
sad news.
CONservative Johnson
February 4th, 2011
5:26 pm
Time for UGA to find a new breeder, and switch to the American Bulldog . . .
GTBob
February 4th, 2011
5:26 pm
Thats too bad. RIP UGA VIII.
pac dawgspbpark
February 4th, 2011
5:27 pm
Georgia needs to change the breeder
Breeder
February 4th, 2011
5:27 pm
So sad, and my condolences go to the family. BUT, Cancer is the scourge of dog breeding. We keep seeing increased occurrence and yet breeders don’t make changes. Inbreeding is a core part of the problem though food and environment are contributors. Until people stop patronizing breeders who inbreed and fail to outcross their lines -this will continue to happen.
And the AKC is hardly innocent in this. They will register an inbred litter no problem. Quite disgusting really. You should see what the foreign kennel clubs think of American breeding practices.
Dunwoody Dawg
February 4th, 2011
5:29 pm
Sam — oh really? I just pulled this off their website:
Why do you allow inbreeding and line breeding?
The relationship between the Sire and Dam of the litter has no bearing on registration eligibility. Anyone who considers breeding their dog must consider temperament, health, and finding mates that complement each other. Breeding dogs that are closely related can fix certain characteristics, both desirable and undesirable. Therefore, we would expect that only very experienced breeders would consider inbreeding and line breeding. However, there is no rule that prohibits inbreeding and line breeding; this is left to the discretion of individual breeders.
Source: http://www.akc.org/about/faq.cfm?page=10
dawg
February 4th, 2011
5:29 pm
he should be named “The Dream Team Dawg” he fought until the dream was completed
Iceman
February 4th, 2011
5:31 pm
Holy Crap
@ UGAVIII
February 4th, 2011
5:32 pm
Owwwwwww.
GT Alum
February 4th, 2011
5:32 pm
BiggdawgK – If you think Dawg fans are so classy, you obviously don’t spend as much time on the Tech blogs as some of your fellow Dawgs do.
That said, I wondered how much longer he would have when they announced he had lymphoma. As an animal lover, I can’t take any joy in this news. It’s rather interesting that the “too impure” Russ is outliving his “superiors”. I don’t know enough about the facts or dog breeding to know if this is just a run of bad luck or if there’s something that can be done to mitigate the risk of another early death, but I hope the next Uga has a long life (and a losing record against Tech!).
RambleOn84
February 4th, 2011
5:32 pm
Please understand I mean no disrespect, but I think people should stop breeding bulldogs. They are such unhealthy dogs that it seems cruel to let them keep procreating.
The same goes for bassett hounds, as they all have painful back problems late in life.
I also believe pit bulls should not be bred any longer, but for a different reason of course.
catlady
February 4th, 2011
5:33 pm
I am sad to hear about this. I had to have my dog put to sleep 2 weeks ago, and it is very painful.
After saying that, perhaps we ought to seek another, deeper bloodline and let this one rest a while. I would guess there are many families raising bulldogs.
Murphy
February 4th, 2011
5:35 pm
R.I.P Big Bad Bruce
bird dawg
February 4th, 2011
5:35 pm
almost all pure breds are imbred. no need for peta. and lay off the seilers. btw, some unbelievable insensitive comments by some low lifes on here. RIP
chalkdawg4
February 4th, 2011
5:36 pm
Give it to Russ. Don’t screw around with picking another one. Clean break new season. RIP Bruce.
Murphy
February 4th, 2011
5:37 pm
RambleOn84,
I had 6 English Bulldogs-None lived longer than 5 years.Had to stop getting them as pets-Kids got to attached and it was hell when one passed away-To hard on the family.
Bjohndawg
February 4th, 2011
5:38 pm
Folks
please clean it up and act like adults
Georgia officials
sonny is a great friend and supporter of Georgia
but is time to consider other lines of breeding for the next uga
Dawg4ever
February 4th, 2011
5:39 pm
RIP Uga VIII. Time for a rejuvenated coach, dream team recruiting class and a new Uga.
GuitarTech706
February 4th, 2011
5:39 pm
While I’m not much of a Dawg fan (I attended Tech for awhile), this is sad. I hope the next Uga fares better.
I also hope the next time UGA plays LSU, that LSU is made to look like middle school players. That being said, GO JACKETS!
DOG4LIFE
February 4th, 2011
5:39 pm
DGD left us too soon. We love ya’ Big Bruce!
Ben
February 4th, 2011
5:40 pm
The Dawgs need to get a Pit Bull for a mascot. They live much longer.
Mattydee
February 4th, 2011
5:41 pm
It’s not UGA, it’s Uga.
Dawg89
February 4th, 2011
5:41 pm
Time to make Russ permanent.
Murphy
February 4th, 2011
5:44 pm
Mr.Jenkin’s will bring a smile to the UGA Nation tommorrow. R.I.P BBB
A+A
February 4th, 2011
5:44 pm
This has to stop. The Sellers bloodline is clearly in trouble. It’s horrible for the poor dogs and it’s sad for the fans. Can’t they just have a guy in a bulldog suit?
Tweets that mention Georgia mascot Uga VIII dies | UGA sports blog -- Topsy.com
February 4th, 2011
5:44 pm
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Kurt Dean, Wufpackin, Bama Davis, Michelle Duke, Matthew Ficken and others. Matthew Ficken said: Georgia mascot Uga VIII dies… http://t.co/w0Zx5yx [...]
masivatack
February 4th, 2011
5:45 pm
What kind of jerrrrrk would leave comments open for this thread… oh well, what do I expect from the ajc.
I agree that he bloodline, and the English Bulldog’s as a whole, has reached a point where there is little luck of getting a really healthy dog. It wasn’t his fault, so I really feel bad for the young fella’.
I say we go to the American bulldog! Thats a Damn Good Dog.
SHANNON
February 4th, 2011
5:47 pm
RIP
Bob
February 4th, 2011
5:48 pm
It just happened. I can assure you that the Vet School is well aware of any problems. There is no in breeding.
Buford Sowega
February 4th, 2011
5:49 pm
English bulldogs are not very good bulldogs in my opinion. I think we should take the opportunity to get a real, working bulldog, either a Pit or perhaps even better–and AMERICAN bulldog. American bulldogs are much stronger, and they are actually capable of catching something.
Malcolm X
February 4th, 2011
5:49 pm
Because of inbreeding, Bulldogs have a very high rate of genetic deformity
Tweets that mention Georgia mascot Uga VIII dies | UGA sports blog -- Topsy.com
February 4th, 2011
5:51 pm
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by The Commish, Michael Davis and Georgia Sports Now, bulldogtweets.com. bulldogtweets.com said: #UGA Georgia mascot Uga VIII dies: ATHENS — University of Georgia mascot Uga VIII died today, according to UGA s… http://bit.ly/fLzRaf [...]
GTFan
February 4th, 2011
5:52 pm
I’m a Tech grad and a Tech fan, but I’m sorry to hear about UGA. If you’re any kind of fan of college football you have to love UGA. Damn Good Dog! RIP
falcon
February 4th, 2011
5:54 pm
DGD he was!!!
Debbie Kirk
February 4th, 2011
5:57 pm
I feel terrible very sad. I would be upset if one of my dogs died unexpectedly. I have an English Bulldog. My vet has commented that mine is the way they should be bred. He is a little leggier and quite athletic. He could run across the field with the cheerleaders the way the old UGAs did. Maybe we need UGA tryouts. He’s not white though. Oh well…..
Starring Kam Fong as Chin Ho
February 4th, 2011
6:02 pm
Cancer can and does strike anyone at any time. Nothing wrong with the breed, just bad luck and sad news. Once again, the Ga family has lost a mascot, the Seilers have lost a family pet. RIP Big Bad Bruce.
JacketNation
February 4th, 2011
6:05 pm
As a GT fan, may I say that I am very saddened to hear that another Uga was lost today. I think the Uga’s are the most cutest mascot in the Nation and as a dog lover, I am so sorry. I really hope the Seiler family finds out what is wrong with the bloodline because too many Uga’s have been lost too soon! RIP.
Paul The Vol
February 4th, 2011
6:05 pm
As a dog owner I am very sorry to hear this. And I agree 100% with rfla.
AndyWDE
February 4th, 2011
6:09 pm
Very sad news. RIP Uga VIII… You will be missed all around the SEC.
Dawgfan2012
February 4th, 2011
6:09 pm
rest in peace UGA VIII AKA BIG BAD BRUCE, you may have only been with us a short time, but you were a damn good dawg.
RIP Bruce
February 4th, 2011
6:10 pm
Have some respect people. That is all we ask right now. Make fun of the program all you want, but do not make fun of our dawg dying.
UGA VIII Is Dead, And I Don’t Feel So Good Myself — Peach Pundit
February 4th, 2011
6:10 pm
[...] UGA VIII has died: The white male English bulldog, who took over as Georgia’s mascot before last season’s homecoming game against Vanderbilt, was diagnosed with lymphoma early last month. [...]
AltamahaDawg
February 4th, 2011
6:11 pm
Lymphoma is not an inherited trait is it? Sonny knows what he is doing. This the mascot of a veterinary school. No shortage of expertise. Just been some bad luck.
And they are not “inbreeding”. Inbreeding is mating a offspring with his sibling, or parent.
What you are taking about is “purebreeding”, and its not any different now than it was 20 yrs ago. Bulldogs Breed have their unique problems.
So do Black labs, so do golden retrievers.
Uga VIII and VII didn’t even have the same mother did they?
Debbie Kirk
February 4th, 2011
6:11 pm
We have a one year old English Bulldog. He can do 2 1/2 miles in 85 degree heat and run the last 1/2 mile. He is a bit leggier and very athletic. Our vet says this is the way bulldogs should be bred. I think we should have UGA IX tryouts. My bulldog could run across Sanford Stadium with the cheerleaders the way UGAs of the 80’s did before every game. Bulldogs can be great and healthy animals if they are bred right! My bulldog isn’t white though he is brindle and beautiful! Oh Well…..
Lolli
February 4th, 2011
6:12 pm
I hope the UGA Veterinary School is given direction to explore the breeding practices of the UGA bloodline. The line is increasing unhealthy and overly fat per the breed guidelines. The Seiler Family no doubt love the dogs, but perhaps they have lost objectivity in their practices.
wxwax
February 4th, 2011
6:13 pm
I raised this issue when the recently deceased dog first got sick.
Why is it that Georgia’s bulldogs are dying at such a prodigious rate?
Sadly, it will be concern over bad PR for the school, and not the dogs’ health, that’s likely to change whatever practice is causing it.
BiggdawgK
February 4th, 2011
6:13 pm
At least a tragedy like this does show not all fans of other programs are aholes.
People like rfla and GTFan are prime examples that you can be a rival and still have a heart and show some class. I tend to think most of the jerks that post are not so much fans of any program as much as they are sociopaths who just like to hate.
Forgive me if I overthink this, but I can never wrap my mind around what makes anyone find humour in another creatures pain and death.
Uga goes Paws UP RIP again
February 4th, 2011
8:11 pm
[...] goes Paws UP RIP again Georgia mascot Uga VIII dies | UGA sports blog Reply With [...]
I’m Tired of our UGA’s Dropping Like Flies! | Hail to Thee
February 5th, 2011
10:56 am
[...] Seriously…this has got to stop. I don’t know what in the hell is happening in the development of these dawgs, but they look weak and out of shape all the time. They need a new strength and conditioning coach. Seiler is now officially off of the bun warmer and onto the hotseat. One more season like this and he’s gone. If he doesn’t make the right off-season moves, all of the scorn of the fans will be upon him. [...]
Friends of the Program - Case of the Mondays
February 6th, 2011
11:21 pm
[...] Pour one out for Uga VII [AJC] [...]