The Yale Athletic Department is looking for the next bulldog to assume the role of mascot as Handsome Dan XVI. Yale, still mourning the passing of Dan XV, a.k.a. Louis, this winter, has decided to comb New England in search of his successor. Bulldogs interested in becoming the next Handsome Dan should have their owners submit an essay about them, explaining why he or she would make a dapper Dan. That essay, along with an image, should be submitted by email to both This email address is hidden from email harvesters via JavaScript and This email address is hidden from email harvesters via JavaScript The essay and image are part of the overall application form that can be found on http://www.yalebulldogs.com. The athletic department will contact the selected owners by the middle of April and ask them to compete in the show of Bulldogs at 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 26, on Yale's Old Campus during the school's Spring Fling festivities. The contestants will strut around the lawn and be judged on their behavior as they interact with children, the Yale band and other game-day situations. The dogs must be kept on a leash for the entire proceedings and the owners must be prepared to clean up after them. Chris Getman '64, a former Eli baseball player and a great friend of the athletics department, has served as caretaker for the last three Handsome Dans, spanning 21 years. Getman will chair the committee to select the new mascot but will not assume his customary role. The tradition of Handsome Dan was established in 1889 and Yale is known as the first university in the United States to adopt a mascot. Handsome Dan, who has been featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated, is as famous as any mascot in the country. Job Description The applicant must be a canine in the bulldog family and have papers to prove it. This pointed-tooth animal must be gregarious and very people-friendly. He or she can not be intimidated by crowds and a loud band. The applicant should expect to be a child magnet and is required for five home football games each fall and selected other contests during the year. Candidates should be athletic enough to climb stairs, walk the sidelines of a game for four quarters and dodge out-of-bounds football players. Speaking on command is preferred but not required. Applicants should not be nervous when handled by strangers and should hate the color red.