Siberian husky gets nod as official dog of Connecticut

HARTFORD — The University of Connecticut Huskies may be champions of college basketball, but the Siberian husky is the king of Connecticut — almost.

As members of the NCAA champion men’s basketball team mingled about the State Capitol on Wednesday, lawmakers took the first step to officially designate the husky as the state dog of Connecticut, joining the pantheon of state symbols that includes the mountain laurel, sperm whales and Revolutionary War hero Nathan Hale.

The legislation, H.B. 5304, pass the House by a vote of 12818, and now heads to the Senate. Among the concerns raised by the opponents of the bill were the time spent debating a trivial topic, as well as the un-American origins of the husky breed.

Like many of Connecticut’s state symbols, the bill began as a push by elementary school students in Fairfield several years ago to designate an official state candy.

Lawmakers landed on the lollipop for that spot this year — beating out a push by proponents of the Orange-based Pez brand —and added the popular huskies for good measure.

Joining the push for the legislation was UConn’s mascot Jonathan XV — himself a purebred, Canadian-born Siberian husky — who delivered “forceful, articulate and excellent” testimony to a legislative committee last month, said state Rep. Matt Blumenthal, D-Stamford.

“It was extraordinarily compelling,” joked.

“Even more compelling, most recently, was the excellent performance of both the men’s and women’s basketball teams for the University of Connecticut.”

A last minute amendment added to the bill on Wednesday would establish a working group to examine the future of one of Connecticut’s more controversial symbols: the invasive, predatory praying mantis that serves as the official state insect.

The working group will include at least two students who have expressed an interest in alternative candidates for the mantis’ title: the spring azure butterfly and autumn meadowhawk dragonfly. The group will submit its final report to the legislature in early 2025.

Jessica Hill/Associated Press Retired UConn mascot Jonathan XIV, right, looks at his successor, Jonathan XV, during a college basketball game between UConn and Seton Hall in March. On Wednesday, state lawmakers took the first steps to declare the Siberian husky the state dog of Connecticut.