Since the 1930s, Bulldogs named, “Rocky” have been the mascot of the University of North Carolina/Asheville.  In the year 2000, a statue of “Rocky” that was sculpted by Matt West was installed on campus, and tradition holds that when students arrive at the school as freshman, they should pat the head of the Bulldog statue, before an exam for good luck, and again when they graduate. While there is a “human” version of Rocky (which, of course, is someone wearing a bulldog suit), UNC Asheville has had four previous Bulldogs mascots from 1948 to the early 1980s.

In 2009, alumni Ed and Alexis Johnson rescued a “Victorian Bulldog” who became UNCA’s latest mascot. This Rocky (seen here) made his first appearance in The Blue Banner that same year, and attended homecomings, convocation, sporting events, orientations and graduations. He was beloved, and his death in 2016 was a blow to everyone. A dogwood tree was planted in his honor in 2017, and he is still missed. You can read more memories of Rocky here.

We use this time to talk a little about the Victorian Bulldog – not as an endorsement –  but to inform readers who may come across mention of the Victorian Bulldog and wonder what it is.

In 1985, London breeder, Ken Mollett,  conceived the idea of “reviving” the Bulldog as it appeared in the 1800s. In his mind, the dog would be taller, more athletically built, have a longer muzzle and smaller head, and he based his vision on photos and portraits of early 19th century dogs.  Mollet’s breeding program used English Bulldog breeds, Staffordshire Bull Terriers, Bullmastiffs, and Dogues de Bordeaux, and one source reports that Mollet used “only dogs registered with the Kennel Club of Great Britain to keep the lines as pure as possible.” For a time, Ken Mollett’s brother, Derek, and Graham Woods teamed up in the effort, but one gave up and the other pursued other goals. Ken carried on.

Mollet’s new creation (or, from his perspective, one supposes, his “recreation”) is recognized only by the Dog Registry of America and the American Canine Association (a veterinary health tracking registry), but not the AKC, United Kennel Club, FCI, Canadian Kennel Club, or any other established registry of purebred dogs we know of, nor does the Bulldog Club of America acknowledge the Victorian Bulldog as an actual breed. Victorian Bulldogs are sometimes known as Mollett Bulldogs or Mollett Victorian Bulldogs, and if one is determined to have one, they should know of the breed’s limitations insofar as being registered as a purebred dog with the AKC, UKC, FCI, Canadian Kennel Club, or the like. As far as we can tell, dogs marketed as Victorian Bulldogs are often crosses between Bulldogs and Boxers, Bulldogs and APBTs, or first or second-generation crosses. Buyer beware.