A dog and his lawyer: What it takes to represent Victor E. Bulldog IV

If you’re from the Central Valley, chances are you know Fresno State’s live mascot, and favorite furry friend, Victor E. Bulldog IV (Victor E). Beyond the camera flashes, meet and greets and assisting the ‘Dogs with school spirit on Saturday nights, however, there’s more to the job than looking cute and being man’s best friend.

Attorney Christopher Brown represents Fresno State’s live mascot, a very important job in an effort to protect Victor E. from any legal harm and uphold the image of Fresno State’s values.

Representing a live mascot is a unique situation, as the mascot cannot represent himself and is seen as a public figure among the Fresno State community. One of the most important aspects of Brown’s role is drafting and reviewing contracts for Victor E., making sure that any event preparation or licensing agreements follow proper guidelines and procedures to ensure the mascot’s health, safety and image. Since Victor E. can’t speak for himself, Brown acts as a sort of legal advocate.

“My priority is always on the dog’s health, welfare, mental health and physical conditions,” said Brown.

When reviewing and drafting contracts, Brown has to take many things into consideration including behavior management, preventing the mascot from being exposed to pain or discomfort and hygiene of the mascot and facilities. Brown must also think of the worst case scenario in order to ensure the safety of the mascot as well as fans and the public if an emergency were to occur.

This is especially important, as Victor E. is an English Bulldog, and requires specific accommodations in order to make sure his health and safety are top priority. In conjunction with the Fresno State Alumni Association, the mascot’s needs are met by making sure a caretaker accompanies him to all events. This includes bringing cooling systems to any event Victor E. goes, due to the scorching heat the Central Valley is far too familiar with.

“It’s a really big responsibility for me, and I’m really fortunate to have people like the executive director of the Alumni Association of Fresno State, whose interest is the health and safety of this animal and the protecting of his image,” said Brown.

Brown is a lawyer with Fennemore Law in Fresno, with 30 years of legal experience under his belt. Though his areas of practice center on real estate and business and finance, Brown has worked with Fresno State’s mascot for over two decades.

Though his role doesn’t include managing public relations for the mascot, Brown is still an intricate part of the legal protection of Victor E. if anything unfortunate were to happen. So far, Brown’s experience working with Victor E. has been smooth sailing, with no problems with the mascot or the handler.

“Working with the dog and his handlers has been seamless,” said Brown. “I’m contacted if there’s any negative PR and I’ve been impressed because I’ve been representing this dog for over two decades and there haven’t been any bad instances.”

Fresno State’s live mascot program is one of the many things that sets the university apart from other schools in the state, having started in 1921 when student body president Warren Moody adopted a bulldog he frequently saw around campus. As a result, the Fresno Morning Republican began referring to the college as “The Bulldogs” in November 1921; a name that’s stuck ever since.

In 1935 the first official university mascot arrived in Fresno, an all-white English bulldog affectionately named Touchdown. After chewing up one too many featherbeds in his home at a campus fraternity house, Touchdown was moved to the home of Frances and Arthur Safstrom. The couple went on to own five Fresno State mascots for the next 30 years.

Many years later, Jim Sweeney’s bulldog Halftime became the unofficial mascot for the football team and stole the hearts of the school and Fresno community. In 2006, a contest was held to find the next live mascot and bring the program back to life. Out of 90 contestants, a bulldog named Norman became the first Victor E. Bulldog, passing the torch to Victor E. Bulldog II in 2012 and to Victor E. Bulldog III in 2015.

In 2022 the baton was passed to Victor E. Bulldog IV, taking on the legacy of being Fresno’s most beloved pup. A legacy that goes beyond school spirit and encapsulates the relationship between man and his best friend; a legacy that Brown is honored to be a part of protecting.

“This dog is very beloved, and his predecessors are beloved,” said Brown. “It’s a real thing of pride for me to be able to work with this dog.”