Des Moines’ top dog

4/5/2023

The beloved face of Drake University has a protruding jaw, wrinkly scowl and sad eyes. George, whose official title is Griff II, is the latest in a growing line of live mascots serving the school.

It began in 1910. Until then, the university mascot had been the Drakes (a male duck), the Ducklings, or Ganders. At the time, athletics coach John L. Griffith (founder of the Drake Relays) brought his two English Bulldogs to games and practices. When a local sports writer began referring to the Drake football team as the Bulldogs, the name stuck.

For decades, Drake University looked like many other schools, represented by a costumed mascot introduced in the 1930s. Spike the Bulldog remains an important part of Drake University, recently making a comeback after a few years out of commission due to the pandemic.

The school’s mascot came to life in 2009, when Erin Bell and her husband entered their English bulldog, Porterhouse, into Drake’s annual Beautiful Bulldog contest for the fourth year — and won. Normally, the winning bulldog is celebrated during the Drake Relays then resumes normal life, Bell said.

“But Porterhouse was just really uniquely embraced by the community. Students and the athletics departments and all kinds of people in the community kept asking him to come to events and to different things happening on campus.”

Bell was a full-time registered nurse, and her husband was in law school, but on evenings and weekends, they were Porterhouse’s posse. He was gentle, docile and loved by fans who cheered him on as he regularly led the Drake basketball team onto the court.

With Porterhouse’s unexpected death in 2013, the university was left with a gaping hole in the community. Two years later, they introduced Griff, the school’s first “official” live mascot — and asked Bell to head the program.

Although it meant leaving her nursing career, accepting the position was an easy “yes” for Bell.

“It’s a weird life; I say that a lot,” she said. As Bell heads the only live mascot program in the state, there are few who understand her situation. “I feel really lucky. It’s definitely not something I ever imagined, but it’s also a ton of work.”

Unlike many other university employees, Bell’s work requires around-the-clock care. Dog food, veterinary costs and grooming are covered through sponsorships and donations, but everything else falls on Bell. When the face of the university broke out in hives on a recent Tuesday evening, Bell stayed up with him all night.

“He was absolutely miserable. It was like having a newborn baby.”

Actually, make that two newborn babies, since the original Griff began a well-deserved retirement after five years of service in 2020. He also lives with Bell and her family.

“He’s almost 11, and he’s just enjoying retirement, living his very best life right now,” Bell said.

Griff I’s successor, Griff II (known by his loved ones as George, in honor of the school’s first president), is completing his third school year with Drake. His schedule is rigorous, to say the least, with more than 300 appearances each year. He’s met countless political candidates during the caucus cycle, traveled to different states for basketball tournaments and even made an appearance on “CBS This Morning.”

Despite the fuss, George hasn’t let the fame go to his head. Stoic, unassuming, innocent: That’s how Bell describes him. His predecessor, on the other hand?

“Griff I — he knew he was a big deal, kind of arrogant in a good way,” Bell joked. “And this guy (George), he’s still oblivious to it. He’s very humble.”

He stays humble even when he sits in his customized chair for events, poses for countless photos, and walks around campus attracting admirers, oohs and awes and cuddles.

Basking in celebrity isn’t George’s only job. He’s an embodiment of what it means to be a Drake Bulldog: proud, smart, loyal, curious, friendly, gentle, stubborn, patient, happy, easy-going, affectionate. As a certified therapy dog, he serves the community in quieter moments, too.

“Being there for students when they’re going through a hard time — he’s just a good medicine for that kind of thing.” ♦