PETA Pushes Cleveland Browns to End Live-Mascot Program
Following the troubling news that the Cleveland Browns’ mascot, Swagger Jr., passed away at the young age of 5, PETA is calling on the team to end its live-mascot program and adopt a logo featuring a brown mixed-breed dog from a local animal shelter instead.
Swagger Jr.’s untimely death should serve as a wake-up call and a damning indictment of a profit-focused industry that deliberately churns out doomed breathing-impaired breeds (BIB). Generations of breeding dogs for a certain look have left bullmastiffs not only struggling just to breathe but also prone to painful conditions, including hip dysplasia, cancer, and life-threatening heart issues.
Breathing-impaired breeds such as bullmastiffs are afflicted with an uncomfortable, debilitating, and sometimes fatal condition called brachycephalic syndrome. Going for a walk, chasing a ball, running, and playing—the things that make dogs’ lives joyful and fulfilling—are impossible for many BIBs.
By ending the live-mascot program and changing its logo to feature a homeless dog instead of one from a breeder, the Cleveland Browns would help encourage their fans and everyone else never to buy breathing-impaired breeds or any other dogs and to always adopt them from a local animal shelter.
How Can You Help Dogs Like Swagger Jr.?
Remember to adopt—don’t shop. In addition, politely urge the Cleveland Browns to end the live-mascot program by leaving a comment on the team’s Instagram page:
