12 states already have a state dog, and Ohio is trying to join them by adding the Labrador Retriever as theirs.
Jeff Rezabek, the Republican representative who proposed House Bill 539, said he wanted to propose a fun bill in his last term. His family has owned Labrador Retrievers for many years and they have been named the most popular breed in the country for the last 26 years, according to the American Kennel Club . He told CNN:
“I saw that the Labrador Retriever really embodied all of what Ohio was about. Ohio is the heart of it all and the Labrador is the heart of your home.”
Some of Ohio’s other state symbols include the state fossil (Isotelus Trilobite) and the state rock song (“Hang on Sloopy”).
According to Rezabek, the bill has been well received. Even the American Kennel Club has told him they support it.
The other states that include a state dog are:
- Alaska: Alaskan Malamute
- Delaware: Golden Retriever
- Louisiana: Catahoula Leopard Dog
- Maryland: Chesapeake Bay Retriever
- Massachusetts: Boston Terrier
- New Hampshire: Chinook
- North Carolina: Plott Hound
- Pennsylvania: Great Dane
- South Carolina: Boykin Spaniel
- Texas: Blue Lacy
- Virginia: American Foxhound
- Wisconsin: American Water Spaniel
New York and Georgia don’t have a single state dog. Instead, they list any working or adoptable dog as their state dog. We fully support this idea!
Related: Best Pet insurance in Ohio
House Bill 539 is scheduled for sponsor testimony on Tuesday.
Tell us: Does your state have a state dog? If not, what do you think it should be? Let us know in the comments!
(H/T: CNN)
Toledo, United States.
