KALAMAZOO, Mich. (WOOD) — You may have heard that Western Michigan University’s mascot, Buster, underwent a big makeover this summer.

But some people are saying, hold your horses. One man set up an online petition to protest the change.

It’s been a year of change at WMU. Nobody minds a new school president or a new football coach.

But mess with Buster, and you better pony up.

“He was just a kind of fun-loving, goofy guy,” said Fritz Klug about the previous version of Buster.

Apparently, Buster changed his diet and started working out. We’re told he went all CrossFit and paleo, but nobody with the university would confirm that. You can’t argue with his results.

Klug graduated from WMU in 2010.  He created an online petition to protest the new version of Buster.

“I was just curious how many people felt the same way I felt about it, because I love Buster,” explained Klug.  “I kind of joked sometimes like he was my best friend in college.”

And Buster kind of looks like your best friend, a Mr. Ed of sports or course of course. Nearly 1,500 hundred people have signed the online petition.

Although Buster’s a ripped stud, don’t look for him to be in the Sports Illustrated body issue anytime soon. The university wouldn’t go on camera, only saying the old Buster was falling apart and was too old to be cleaned thoroughly.

“I’m not in the mascot business, but I’m sure there could have been a company somewhere that could make the old Buster,” Klug said.

Now Klug, and others like him, are saddled with grief about losing the old Buster.

But you never know. Maybe Buster will get burned out and return to his diet of donuts and milkshakes.

“I hope. I mean, that’s all you can have sometime is hope,” Klug said.

Klug says he’s going to let the online petition ride out for another week or so before presenting it to the university.