The University of Alabama faced rival Georgia on Saturday, and the tailgaters weren’t the only ones excited to see the legendary faceoff. The tailgate’s real stars were the game day dogs, brave hounds of many breeds uniting in the name of sportsmanship and school spirit. Unlike the University of Georgia would have people believe, it is not the only school that is backed with barks.
These five dogs proved their loyalty and enthusiasm while capturing the hearts of the people nearby.
Traveler
Traveler and his owner traveled from Memphis, Tennessee. He is a mixed-breed rescue dog who has already had a lot of experience at Alabama. This was far from his first tailgate; in fact, as the dog of an alum, he was able to live on campus in one of the fraternity houses. This is practically his home away from home.
Traveler’s owners said he felt nothing but pride seeing the Crimson Tide challenge Georgia this Saturday, despite the opponent’s mascot.
“He doesn’t even like bulldogs,” the owners said.
Ruby
By contrast, Ruby the Goldendoodle from Charlotte, North Carolina, “felt a bit conflicted” about the matchup due to her canine solidarity with Uga the Bulldog, her owners said.
Even though tailgating can be a great time for a dog to socialize, it can also be stressful for the animal.
“It’s loud, and it’s a lot for her. But she gets a lot of love too,” her owners said.
In spite of Ruby’s hesitations, her owner said she was ultimately “just looking for someone to drop some food.”
Lola Blue
Lola Blue is a fluffy 6-year-old retriever from Huntsville, Alabama. She gets her name from her heterochromia, which gives her a unique blue-and-brown gaze. Her excitement for food is matched only by her excitement for tailgating.
“I can tell her we’re going tailgating, and she’ll run straight to the car,” said James Taylor, Lola Blue’s owner.
Taylor said that Lola Blue was looking forward to watching the game and rooting for the Crimson Tide on the Quad with her owners.
Molly and Tito
Molly is a 5-year-old dachshund from Truckee, California, who made her debut in Tuscaloosa last year for Alabama’s matchup
against Tennessee. She traveled over 2,000 miles by RV to be at the game, and she was more than ready for the game day excitement.
“If she sees an Auburn or Georgia fan, she lights them up,” her owner said. “It gets her adrenaline going.”
Molly wasn’t the only dog in her family tailgating. Her younger brother, Tito, was especially pumped about the tailgate and rooting for Alabama. Despite being only a few months old, Tito has already tailgated every home game this season, and on Saturday he was intent on seeing even more.
“He knows the drill already,” Tito’s owner said. “He knows where his heart lies, and it’s with the Crimson Tide.”
Gigi
Gigi, a husky from Nashville, Tennessee, made her first trip to the Quad last Saturday. She had been in Tuscaloosa before but wasn’t able to get the full tailgate experience. Despite being new to the scene, she was already one of the most popular dogs on the block, with several people coming up to pet her.
“She doesn’t like bulldogs. … She only likes elephants,” Gigi’s owner said.
