It was a family reunion that would warm the heart of anyone who bleeds maroon and white.

Mississippi State mascot Bully XIX visited his six progeny Thursday in Vicksburg at the home of Steve and Melody Golding.

The Goldings own Phoebe, a 6-year old English bulldog, who was chosen to breed with Bully XIX, unofficially known as Tonka. The puppies were delivered via Caesarean section Feb. 17 by Vicksburg veterinarian Dr. Mike Bailey.

The university will take one of the puppies, known as Little T, because of the resemblance between the puppy and his father. The other five, Sylvester (named for football coach Croom), Sippi (short for Mississippi), Callie, Hank and Titus, will go to owners selected by the Goldings. And, yes, all of the puppies have been spoken for, Melody Golding said.

Little T will live with his father while the school decides whether to give him away or train him to be the next Bully, said Tonka’s handler, Lisa Chrestman. The pick of last year’s litter – Tonka’s first – went to former MSU baseball star and current Baltimore Orioles first baseman Rafael Palmeiro.

Caring for six bulldog puppies is no easy task, Melody Golding said.

“It’s been like having a baby, but six,” she said. “They have to be fed every hour, on the hour. As soon as you get through feeding them, you have to start all over again. I have done nothing but take care of puppies for six weeks,” Melody Golding said.

Phoebe went through an extensive “interview” and health check in order to breed with Tonka. Ten dogs were examined at the university’s College of Veterinary Medicine before Phoebe was chosen.

“We want that English bulldog look. We don’t want one that’s got a long nose or a tall body or anything like that,” Chrestman said.

After she was chosen, Phoebe spent a week with Bully in early December. The gestation period was about 60 days, Melody Golding said.

An English bulldog has been used as Mississippi State’s official game mascot since 1935. The Bulldog nickname has been used, along with Aggies and Maroons, at least since 1905.

Tonka lives with Chrestman, a veterinary technician at the university, and keeps a demanding schedule. He attends all football games, all home men’s and women’s basketball games and all home baseball games until the weather gets too hot. He also attends at least one university function a week.

Tonka is the first mascot to be owned by the school. He was bought from a Waynesboro family in 1999 after a two-year search, Chrestman said. Previous Bullys ran wild on campus or lived in fraternity houses. The bulldog was often kidnapped and once painted with lead-based paint, which killed him. 0

The Bulldog bone fides in the Golding family run deep. Steve Golding is an MSU graduate and their son, Austin, is a freshman pole-vaulter for the Bulldog track and field team.

Not all of the Goldings have ties to Starkville. Melody Golding is – shhh! – an Ole Miss alumna.

“I really like Mississippi State, though. I’m an MSU fan through and through,” she said.