Ballard's Do-Nut Shop, Los Angeles 1950s
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The splendidly named George Tirebiter Jr was the son of George Tirebiter Sr, a shaggy mutt who became the unofficial and then the official canine mascot of the USC (University of Southern California) in the 1940s. George Sr was a stray dog that wandered onto the campus, looking for food. He was named George because he resembled a student, and his surname came from his habit of running after moving cars on campus and trying to bite their tires. Students adopted Tirebiter as their unofficial mascot and the Ballard family who ran Ballard’s Do-Nut shop, a café for students and faculty members, did their bit by offering him a warm spot in their home whenever the dog came scratching at the door. The mutt gained legendary status for biting UCLA's mascot Joe Bruin on the nose and chasing Cal's mascot Oski (both were live bears, a practice that was discontinued) up a goalpost. In 1947/46 Tirebiter Sr was officially adopted as the USC mascot, but the iconic mutt sadly died in an automobile accident two years later. His death was marked by a public campus funeral with a procession led by the Trojan Band.
The Ballard family, who had adopted one of a litter of puppies born to George Snr, offered their pet as the new USC mascot. However, George Tirebiter Jr retired early in 1953 because of his habit of barking at large crowds. His successor George Tirebiter III served for five years starting around 1953 but proved difficult to handle and was returned to his owner.
George Tirebiter IV served for one season in 1957 and retired to live with a USC professor. In 1961, USC switched to adopting horses as mascots.
However, George Tirebiter V reappeared in 2023 as a modern 26-pound robotic dog created by engineering students to carry on the school's canine legacy.
Each order includes a print of the interior menu.
All printed in USA.
