ATLANTA — The passing of the University of Georgia's former beloved mascot, Uga X, saddened many fans after his death was announced Tuesday. Uga X, affectionately known as Que, died peacefully in his Savannah home at the age of 10.
However, one animal rights group's post on X, formerly known as Twitter, went beyond condolences into criticism, upsetting several social media users.
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, or PETA, posted, "RIP Uga. We're hoping his passing reminds @UniversityOfGA just how irresponsible it is for them to be promoting unhealthy, breathing-impaired, flat-faced breeds like English Bulldogs."
The post sent fans into a frenzy, with several X users denying the claims.
@ProjSports replied, "This dog had a better life than 95% of humans but do your thing."
@big_furbs replied saying, "there's no way you hit send on that"
User @SportsGuyLance quoted the post, saying, "Even fans of other SEC schools cooked PETA in the comments."
An Alabama Crimson Tide fan account responded to the tweet talking about how PETA's post was getting ratioed, which means when a post has more replies than likes and retweets -- usually when a post sparks a lot of controversy.
Even Georgia Governor Brian Kemp chimed in about PETA's claims, saying, "Bulldog Nation is proud of Uga - and always will be! #GoDawgs"
X users added a Community Note to PETA's post refuting their claims, saying, "There has never been a report that UGA suffered or struggled to breathe, and he lived a normal lifespan for his breed."
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