Shepherding in a New State Dog

The Empire State has a state flower (the Rose), a state insect (the ladybug), a state tree (Acer saccharum - the Sugar Maple), a state gem (the Garnet), a state beverage (milk), a state fish (the Brook Trout), a state shell (the Bay Scallop)... for goodness sake we even have a state muffin (the Apple Muffin)! So why not a state dog?

That's what Assemblyman Vincent Ignizio from Staten Island wants to know. And since we don't have one, Ignizio would further like to suggest the German Shepherd to fill the role. "If the dog is man's best friend," he told the Post "then clearly the German shepherd is New York's best friend."

While we suspect there are bigger things we could be worried about besides state dogs, we can't say we'd object to the German shepherd representing our fine State. They're just such loving and lovable little buggers. Anybody got any better ideas for a state dog?

Photograph of Max the German Shepherd from Mary T.'s flickr stream.

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By Garth Johnston in Arts & Entertainment on February 4, 2006 11:21 AM

Comments [rss]

Tom Erkman

My personal preference would be the Boxer. Okay, I admit it : I'm a Boxer snob. However, after seeing what GSD's did after the WTC massacre, German Sheps are fine with me. They wotked just like their human counterparts to the point of exhaustion.

Tom Erkman, Staten Island NY

Ann Lettis

Nice to see all these comments. I'd like to clarify a few comments I've read here. Staten Island is a great place to live. I've been on the Island since 1969, a little country, a little city. As far as the GSD goes, this has been a dream of mine for over 20 years, to have NYS have a state dog added to their state symbols. Months 9/11 in which I lost a few friends, including Lt. Paul Martini from Engine Co. 201, I realized that, although not my breed, the GSD worked hard at Ground Zero. Yes, other breeds did also, but not in such numbers. As a lifetime member of the U.S. War Dog Assoc., I'm also aware of how these dogs serve us so well in the military. Additionally, the Monks of New Skete in upstate NY have breed and raised the GSD for over 3 decades. NYS police use GSD more then any other breed of dog. A dog for a state symbol is not one dog of one breed, which would definitely rule out a mixed breed. After all, would some have it with short or long hair, full drop ears or full prick. The GSD is as diverse as New Yorkers, used for police work, family dog, military, search/rescue, farm work. Just one more point, this is taking up very little time in Albany, as I have been and continue to do a lot of the work to see the passage of A9300. Those who understand the legislation process would know our legislators are certainly not taking away from pressing pieces of legislation. I've been involved in canine legislation for 20 years, so I do know the process.

Ann Lettis, Legislative Liaison for the Staffordshire Bull Terrier Club of America

Jen

Definitely a mutt. But a mutt wearing shoes, please.

Lizz

One reason behind the selection of the German Shepherd is the police and search & rescue work that the breed is doing. I would say the yorkie or the pug are most popular on the UWS of Manhattan, but I've seen just about every breed around there. A mutt would be awesome, (like a Pit Bull/Lab mutt to demonstrate their vast numbers in the shelters) but I think working dogs deserve tribute too.

Toby

CJ: Have you ever been to Staten Island? It is like New Jersey, but worse.

jc: You got my point exactly!

jc

Toby, you took the words right out of my mouth....a mutt would be perfect for New York! Especially one from an animal shelter.

CJ

The German shepherd is absolutely the wrong dog to represent NY. Who has a big dog like that in the city? It should be maybe a dachshund.....

Toby

I would say a mutt would be perfect.

But still this is really stupid and a waste of legislative time and resources.

Then again, New Jersey has a Hadrosaurus foulkii as their state dinosaur which is really really stupid.