In the doghouse: Bullseye mascot provider says Target owes $740K for breaching contract

A California company is claiming that the Minneapolis-based retailer did not cancel an auto-renewing contract for the use of its Bullseye English bullterrier dogs, in time.

The Minnesota Star Tribune
November 22, 2024 at 6:04PM
Hundreds of early bargain hunters were in line to enter the Target store at Ridgedale in Minnetonka when it opened at 8 p.m. Thursday night, November 28, 2013. Ridgedale Target employees were treated to a visit from Bullseye the dog at a quick huddle just before the doors opened. ] JEFF WHEELER • jeff.wheeler@startribune.com
Pictured is a file photo of Bullseye visiting a Target store in Minnetonka. The company that provided the dogs playing Bullseye for years is suing Target for breach of contract. (Jeff Wheeler/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

A California company that provides animals for live events is demanding that Target fork over nearly $740,000, claiming the Minneapolis-based retailer did not cancel an auto-renewing contract in time for the use of its Bullseye dogs with a “sweet temperament” and a “confident attitude.”

“Worldwide Movie Animals enjoyed a lengthy relationship with Target and was pleased to be an integral part in the development of the iconic Bullseye brand,” the plaintiff’s lawyer said in an email to the Minnesota Star Tribune.

“It is unfortunate that, without any explanation, Target unexpectedly canceled the contract, terminating a twenty-two year relationship, and now refuses to pay amounts owed under the contract.”

Worldwide Movie Animals, based in Santa Clarita, Calif., has since 2002 provided Bullseye, played by English bull terriers with a red Target circle painted around their left eyes, at events such as Thanksgiving parades, red carpet events and opening bell ceremonies on Wall Street, the lawsuit said.

Filed in U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, the suit is sealed.

Worldwide’s lawyer, Tiffany Hedgpeth of Edgcomb Law Group, said the company opposes Target’s request to keep the suit under seal “as there is nothing about the contract that warrants depriving the public from its right to review judicial records.”

Target on Friday declined to comment.

In the lawsuit, obtained by Law.com, Worldwide said that for years, Target would call the animal provider to ask to use Bullseye without using a contract or agree to the company’s standard contract, which applied only to one event at a time. Around 2016, though, Target told Worldwide that it was requiring vendors to enter multiyear agreements with the company, the complaint said.

“While [Worldwide Movie Animals] was reluctant to enter into such an agreement, preferring to use its own agreement, which provided flexibility, Target insisted,” the suit said.

The contract required the animal provider to make two dogs available at any time to the retailer. It also stated that Target needed to cancel the contract six months before a three-year term auto-renewed. Therefore, to prevent the contract from renewing last Feb. 5, Target had to provide notice of cancellation by Aug. 4, 2023, the suit said.

The retailer “inexplicably” mailed a cancellation notice on Aug. 4, and the animal provider received it three days later, the lawsuit said. “As notice of cancellation of the agreement was not effected before Aug. 4, 2023, by its terms, the agreement automatically renewed on Feb. 5,” the suit said.

Target has not paid the $739,314 it owes for the remaining fees for the three-year term that started on Feb. 5, it said.

“While defendant Target Enterprises LLC (“Target”) seeks brand loyalty from its customers, it has shown that it is anything but loyal to those responsible for bringing its brand to life,” the suit said. “After twenty-two years of providing Target’s Bullseye dog mascot, Target inexplicably canceled its agreement with” Worldwide Movie Animals.

about the writer

about the writer

Victor Stefanescu

Reporter

Victor Stefanescu covers medical technology startups and large companies such as Medtronic for the business section. He reports on new inventions, patients’ experiences with medical devices and the businesses behind med-tech in Minnesota.

See More

More from Retail

A boy looks at jellyfish in an aquarium at a SeaQuest attraction. The fast-growing developer of mall attractions is building an aquarium and wildlife exhibit at Rosedale Center that will open next spring.

Company officials in court documents blame “unprecedented disruption” during COVID for its current financial woes. Failed inspections have led to an active investigation of its Roseville location.

Hormel headquarters in Austin, MN. ] GLEN STUBBE * gstubbe@startribune.com Friday September 11, 2015 Despite woes throughout the food industry, partly due to consumers turning away some from processed foods, Hormel has managed to continue prospering -- even though a good part of its business -- Spam, chili -- is about as processed as you can get. But the company's turkey and pork offerings are riding a hot protein trend. And over the past two years, it's made some of the biggest acquisitions in