ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) From police K-9s to guide dogs for the blind, the ``working dog'' is now New York's official state dog.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed legislation on Wednesday adding trained working dogs to the list of official state creatures, which include the Eastern bluebird, beaver, brook trout, snapping turtle, striped bass and 9-spotted ladybug.
The breed of dog doesn't matter. Cuomo said the new law celebrates any dog trained for service such as sniffing out drugs, searching for missing people, or assisting the disabled.
Eleven other states have designated official state dogs, but they're all specific breeds. Maryland's is the Chesapeake Bay retriever. Pennsylvania's is the Great Dane, and Virginia's is the American foxhound. The official state dog in Massachusetts is _ of course _ the Boston terrier.
