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Aggies mascot Reveille VIII will enter planned retirement in the coming months, the Houston Chronicle reported Thursday.
After consulting with veterinarians at the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, university officials decided the eight-year-old Rough Collie formerly named Kelly should retire to the on-campus Stevenson Companion Animal Life-Care Center.
The university has formed a 12-member selection committee to search for Reveille VII’s replacement.
According to the Chronicle:
The first Reveille, a mixed breed rescued from the roadside in the early 1930s, earned her name by howling in response to the corps bugler as he played reveille to wake up the cadets, according to earlier Chronicle reports.
That dog died in January 1944 and received a formal military funeral on Kyle Field’s 50-yard line.
Reveille VIII has attended hundreds of sporting events and student activities in her career. She will continue to serve as the school’s mascot through the spring semester or until a replacement is named.
Fans and media reacted strongly to the news Thursday.
Now that Reveille VIII is retiring I am determined to find her and take a picture with her!
— Hannah Speck (@hannah_speck) September 18, 2014
Reveille VIII saw a loss to Arkansas State and a win over Alabama, gotta think consistency is important in the search for Reveille IX
— Aubrey Bloom (@aubreyrbloom) September 18, 2014
The fact that A&M sends out an email saying Reveille VIII is retiring ?
— Nicole (@NikkiFBaby) September 18, 2014
An itinerant journalist, Christopher has moved between states 11 times in seven years. Formally an injury-prone Division I 800-meter specialist, he now wanders the Rockies in search of high peaks.
