PETA asks SMU to spare pony mascot from ‘fear and stress’ at ACC championship game

When SMU travels to Charlotte on Saturday to face the Clemson Tigers for the ACC football championship, the Mustangs will have a decision to make.

And it has nothing to do with the players or coaches on the field.

Do the Mustangs bring their mascot, Peruna IX, to Bank of America Stadium? Or do they keep Shetland pony home in Texas?

PETA wants the mascot to stay home.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals wrote to SMU President R. Gerald Turner this week, asking the university to keep Peruna IX in Texas.

PETA said that subjecting a highly strung pony to boisterous crowds is traumatic and pointed out the swift backlash that Louisiana State University recently faced for carting out a live tiger during a football game.

“Ponies are prey animals whose instinct is to panic and flee from startling noises, yet SMU plans to parade this pony like a toy in front of a stadium full of screaming fans, noisemakers, and a band,” says Kathy Guillermo, PETA senior vice president. “PETA is urging SMU to consider Peruna IX’s perspective, cancel this appearance, and leave ponies in peace by ending the school’s live mascot program.”

As of Friday afternoon, there’s no word on whether Peruna IX will make the trip. The game begins at 7 p.m. and will be broadcast on ABC.

The letter signed by Tracy Reiman, PETA’s executive vice president, reads in part:

I’m writing today regarding news that you’re planning to bring Peruna IX to Saturday night’s ACC showdown against Clemson. We urge you to cancel this senseless stunt and put an end to this archaic tradition. Please consider the following.

SMU shouldn’t be teaching students that it’s OK to subject a pony to bright lights, screaming crowds, bands, noisemakers, and an unfamiliar environment. Ponies are prey animals. They are easily stressed or frightened by loud noises—and no amount of “grooming” or summer band practices will prepare them for the chaos of game day.

As more and more people realize that every animal is an individual with their own interests, needs, and personalities—as well as the capacity to feel pain, fear, and love, students and sports fans alike are increasingly opposed to using live animals as “spectacles” at sporting events. This is evidenced by the recent debacle at LSU in which a live tiger was carted out in a cage to a football game. Following the event, the student government unanimously passed a resolution pushing for LSU leadership to ban the exploitation of all live tigers.

For 30 years, as president at SMU, you’ve overseen three different Perunas: the “skittish” Peruna VII, who broke his leg but was still forced to run during games for years until the swelling became so unmanageable that he was retired and his liver failed; Peruna VIII, who rebelled against handlers and stomped and whinnied before games—both signs of high levels of stress; and Peruna IX, who has been forced to attend loud, stressful games for over a decade.

Please, consider the fear and stress Peruna IX would no doubt experience on Saturday and cancel this live appearance. And as you conclude your leadership at SMU at the end of the academic year, we urge you to permanently end the use of “Perunas” so that no more ponies will be made to suffer in the name of entertainment at SMU.

This story was originally published December 6, 2024 at 3:41 PM.