Hitching a ride on the backs of Treeing Walker Coonhounds, rescue dogs and cats are set to become the official pets of Kentucky.
Senate Bill 37, which designates the hound as Kentucky’s official state dog breed, passed both chambers of the General Assembly in the final hours of the 2026 legislative session.
Bill sponsor Sen. Robin L. Webb, R-Grayson, filed the bill because the treeing walker coonhound is the only breed Kentucky can claim to have originated that is registered with the United Kennel Club and American Kennel Club. The latter says the treeing walker coonhound is “as Southern as biscuits and gravy, magnolia trees and William Faulkner.”
An amendment filed by Rep. Erika Hancock, D-Frankfort, though, names the official state pets to be “domestic cats and dogs, both purebred and mixed breeds alike, that reside in or have been adopted from Kentucky animal shelters or rescue organizations.”
Frankfort teenager Ethan Branscum, 13, has advocated for this since he was 6 years old.
As the clock ticked toward midnight, Branscum said he felt a “rollercoaster” of emotions: He was concerned on Tuesday it wouldn’t pass, but still felt hints of hope that came and went.
“It’s amazing to me, because we’ve been working so long on this, and it’s really, really good to finally get it passed,” Branscum said.
Speaking on the floor around 10 p.m. Wednesday, Hancock praised Branscum for championing rescue pets over the last seven years.
“This young man has filed it every session, learning the process with patience, determination and curiosity — and what he has learned is more than any textbook can teach,” Hancock said. “He has learned that what looks easy, isn’t. It takes hard work, dedication, patience and cooperation to pass the bill.”
It’s not symbolic only, Hancock said — it’s also about increasing awareness of the need for adoptions.
“This amendment recognizes the thousands of animals and shelters across all 120 counties waiting for a home,” Hancock said. “It is about awareness. It is about adoption, and it’s about recognizing the value in every animal.”
Another amendment from Rep. Derek Lewis, R-London, designates “the eastern spotted skunk as the official state nongame mammal of Kentucky” and “the eastern hellbender as the state amphibian of Kentucky,” which he called a “worthy cause” since hellbender populations are “dependent on having clean water.”
The bill now heads to Gov. Andy Beshear’s desk.
Branscum isn’t sure what comes next for him, but he knows his work and advocacy doesn’t end here. In addition to advocating for rescue pets, Branscum has busied himself raising resources for disaster victims and distributing pet food around Frankfort.
“This is something that I’ve dedicated seven and a half years of my life to. I’m really glad that I’ve finally been able to see it through to the finish and finally — finally — get it done,” he said. “I do know that we’re definitely going to work more on our education and our disaster relief stuff. We’re also going to put a lot more work into our homeless pet food pantry. I feel like all the little side projects that have been born off of this, I’m going to focus on now.”