As I have note in the past, English Bulldogs are health care basket cases.
As I noted when describing the respective canine mascots of Mississippi State and the University of Georgia Bulldogs,
... with a face so brachycephalic there is no room for a tongue, and with an airway smashed and corkscrewed, I am not sure either of these two canine mascots will be alive too long.
Why would anyone select an animal mascot that is deformed, defective and on the verge of being defeated before it even walks on the field?
Now reality has caught up.
It seems the English Bulldog mascot for Louisiana Tech University, died of a heat stroke over the weekend, despite being in the constant and permanent care of a veterinarian.
The cause of death: heat stroke because the dog was left out too long on an evening.
Yes, that's right: heat stroke in the evening.
Dr. Patrick Sexton, the vet who cared for Tech XX, sent a statement to the university Wednesday afternoon:
"Regretfully, I learned this morning that through negligence of an employee, Tech XX was left outside too long on Sunday evening and passed away from a heat stroke. That employee unfortunately chose to handle it the wrong way and attempted to cover it up. Due to this negligence, the employee is no longer employed by Sexton Animal Health Center.
"My family, my staff and I are extremely upset at this tragic turn of events as I know the entire Louisiana Tech Family is as well. Tech XX was a member of our immediate family and a daily part of our lives for the past four years. We are devastated over the circumstances of his passing and there will be a large void in our hearts for some time to come. As with any family member, we will spend considerable time grieving his passing."
Question: Isn't it time to dump the Bulldog?
Isn't it time to STOP breeding seriously brachycephalic breeds which live every moment of their life struggling for breath?
Isn't it time to put at end to the dry-land equivalent of water-boarding a dog for life because we think a smashed-in face is cute?
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4 comments:
It's a shame an employee was blamed for the death.
From the KSLA 12 article:
"It's unknown if the fired employee will face any charges."
As you might state Patrick, Whisky, tango, foxtrot!
As I am not certain whether a case of negligence (in the immediate sense) by the vet tech or the situational demise of the dog's own inadequacy to sustain life in relatively normal environmental conditions??
I sense a scapegoat on the making..sigh
According to CNN, the dog's "predecessor, Tech XIX, was retired in 2007 because of health concerns after suffering heatstroke, the university said on its website."
Bulldogs are sad sounding dogs. I was walking my BC one evening and we encountered a guy with a Bulldog in the nearby park. The dogs went to sniff each other in greeting and the Bulldog made a loud snort in his "normal" attempt to breathe and my dog jumped by several feet. She didn't know what to make of his loud breathing and it scared her. I'm sorry, even other dogs know this is no way for a dog to be.
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