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Zach Lovett of The Pampered Pup responded to a recent article in The Messenger that suggested that a coon dog might have the opportunity to be a top entry in the Humane Society of Pike County’s 2024 Pet Photo Contest. The reason being that the State of Alabama has designated the Redbone Coonhound as the state dog.

Donna Brockmann, HSPC president, said the coonhound and any other pet is eligible to enter the contest and, perhaps, be the Calendar Cover Pet for 2024 or featured as a Pet of the Month or honored as one of 52 weekly winners. All photographs of all pets entered will be included in the HSPC Pet Photo Calendar.

Other states have honored a wide variety of dogs as their state dog while others have canvases their residents to find their preference for a state dog—if dogs were so honored.

Lovett made a complete listing available: Georgia, English bulldog; Tennessee, Treeing Bridle; West Virginia, Cocker Spaniel; Maryland, American Foxhound; Minnesota, The Husky.

North Dakota, chose the Norwegian Elkhound; Oregon, the Bernese Mountain Dog; Arizona, the Chihuahua and Texas, the Texas Heeler.

Nebraska, named the Blue Heeler as its state dog; Wisconsin, the Jack Russell Terrier and Florida, the Florida Cracker while New Mexico chose the Mexican Hairless Dog.

Whether a state has an official state dog or an unofficial state dog, each state seems to have an interest in and love for its dogs.

Pike County, Alabama has its share of dog lovers.

Brockmann said all animal lovers everywhere must be disheartened when they see or learn that unwanted animals are the victims of abuse and neglect.

The HSPC’s 2024 Pet Photo Calendar contest is one way that all animal lovers can help reduce the number of unwanted and too often abused animals.

Visit the HSPC’s website at www.pikehumane.org and enter a pet or vote. Every penny supports the HSPC’s spay and neuter program. Those procedures are the best way to reduce an unwanted/abused animal population.