University of Ga. bulldog mascot Uga VII dies

ATLANTA — Uga VII, the white English bulldog mascot for the University of Georgia’s football team for almost two seasons, died Thursday of heart-related causes, the dog’s owner said.

The 56-pound dog, nicknamed “Loran’s Best,” was known as a laid-back mascot who seemed oblivious to crowd noise during boisterous games and would sit patiently as excited fans snapped photos of him. He often roamed the sidelines in a shirt with a ‘G’ stitched on it, sometimes resting on a bag of ice to cool off in his customized dog house.

The school said there would be no mascot at Saturday’s game in Athens against Southeastern Conference rival Kentucky, but that a wreath will be laid on his doghouse on the field’s sidelines. Sonny Seiler, the dog’s owner, said he likely wouldn’t name a replacement until next year.

“We are all in a state of shock,” Seiler said in a news release issued by the university. “We had no warning whatsoever.”

The 4-year-old dog made his debut as the mascot in August 2008 after his father, Uga VI, died of congestive heart failure. He had big paws to fill — Uga VI was the school’s winningest mascot, racking up a 87-27 record, seven wins in nine bowl appearances and a pair of Southeastern Conference championships. Read more