American Kennel Club® & AOL’S Pawnation.com Ask America to Show Their Team Spirit By “Cheering” For Their Favorite College Mascot

New York, NY ” From Yale’s “Handsome Dan” to the University of Georgia’s “Uga”, fans adore their college mascots as much as the highest scoring team players. But which mascot will score the most points?

In celebration of its 125 Anniversary, the American Kennel Club and AOL’s PawNation.com ask America to weigh in on their favorite canine college mascots. The nominees for most famous canine college mascot are:

•Yale’s “Handsome Dan” ” The first university in the United States to adopt a mascot, Yale’s Bulldog was established by a young gentleman from Victorian England, who attended Yale in the 1890’s. Since then there have been 17 Handsome Dans, who have belonged to deans, directors and coaches.

•University of Georgia’s “UGA” ” A solid white English Bulldog has served as the mascot since 1956. To date, there have been seven dogs to carry the name “UGA”, each is the son of his predecessor. Deceased UGAs are interred in a mausoleum near the main entrance to Sanford Stadium.

•Texas A&M’s “Reveille” ” Students adopted the first Reveille in 1931. After the death of the first Reveille, an university graduate donated a Shetland Sheepdog to fill his paw prints. The third Reveille was the first to be a purebred Collie; all subsequent mascots have belonged to this breed.

•Georgetown’s “Jack the Bulldog “In 1962, “Jack” the Bulldog was formally adopted as the official mascot of Georgetown. Over time, the tradition of a permanent, on-campus mascot was replaced by a student in a bulldog suit. However, seniors in the class of 1999 began a “Bring Jack Back” campaign and succeeded in welcoming a new Jack to campus.

•Boston University Terriers’ Rhett the Boston Terrier – The Boston University Terriers official mascot is Rhett the Boston Terrier. Since the school colors are scarlet and white, the mascot is named Rhett in a reference to Gone with the Wind, because “no one loves Scarlet more than Rhett.”

•Fresno State Bulldogs “Timeout” – Fresno State University adopted the Bulldog mascot in 1921 after the student body president, Warren Moody, and friends were continually greeted on their way to football games outside the main campus building by a white bulldog. The live dog was adopted by the student body and brought to football games as the mascot for several decades, until the 1981 when a costumed Bulldog was introduced.

Which canine college mascot will be victorious? Visit pawnation.com/category/akc-top-125- to cast your vote and make your bark heard.

Underscoring America’s love affair with dogs and celebrating its 125th Anniversary, the American Kennel Club(AKC) collaborated with AOL’s PawNation.com to compile a list of the Top 125 Dogs in Popular Culture. The list brings together canines from diverse backgrounds for a candid look at how dogs have been woven into the fabric of America. From movies and music, mascots and literature, to cartoons and TV characters, each week a new poll allows Americans to review the list, debate it with their friends and colleagues, and pick their favorites. Dog lovers can return each week to vote and have a final say to end the doggie debate and find who it the top dog. The AKC will tabulate results and unveil the final list of America’s Top 125 Dogs in Pop Culture on December 7, 2009.

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The American Kennel Club (AKC), proudly celebrates its 125th Anniversary in 2009. Since 1884 the not-for-profit organization has maintained the largest registry of purebred dogs in the world, and today its rules govern more than 20,000 canine competitions each year. The AKC is dedicated to upholding the integrity of its registry, promoting the sport of purebred dogs and breeding for type and function. Along with its nearly 5,000 licensed and member clubs and its affiliated organizations, the AKC advocates for the purebred dog as a family companion, advances canine health and well-being, works to protect the rights of all dog owners and promotes responsible dog ownership. Affiliate AKC organizations include the AKC Humane Fund, AKC Canine Health Foundation, AKC Companion Animal Recovery and the AKC Museum of the Dog. For more information, visit akc.org

AKC, American Kennel Club, the American Kennel Club seal and design, and all associated marks and logos are trademarks, registered trademarks and service marks of The American Kennel Club, Inc. All other marks are the properties of their respective owners.

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