The state’s official state dog is now the rescue dog.
Signed into law by Gov. John Carney, SB37 amends title 29 of the Delaware Code relating to the state dog.
The first iteration of this bill came in 2019, introduced by State Rep. Bryan Shupe.
“In 2019 they had a bill that passed that made the rescue dog the state dog for a year. But this makes the rescue dog a permanent state dog,” said State Sen. Jack Walsh, who co-sponsored SB37 with Shupe.
Delaware became the first official no-kill state in 2019. Today, it still remains one of the only 2 in the country.
Carney says the state dog designation carries weight in Delaware.
“It sends a message to the folks who do this work here at the shelters, and to people who may be looking to adopt a rescue that this is an important thing to do, and that we value that here in the First State,” he explained.
First State shelters, including Humane Animal Partners, Faithful Friends, and the Brandywine Valley SPCA, routinely take in animals from out of state.
This occurs when out of state shelters get too full, or a natural disaster occurs that causes displacement.
As a no-kill state, Delaware’s shelter animals must find a home.
The designation of the rescue dog as the state dog represents the First State’s emphasis on fostering and adoption as the only pathway for shelter animals.
Moving forward, both Walsh and Shupe hope this legislation encourages more Delawareans to consider fostering or adopting a dog or cat from an animal shelter.