CLEVELAND — You've heard the old saying "adopt, don't shop." The Ohio legislature decided to take this to a new level by declaring "shelter pets" the official state pet, CBS affiliate WOIO reports.
Senate Bill 86 was passed Wednesday in order to "raise public awareness of shelter animals."
The Humane Society celebrated the passage of the bill, hoping it would allow more shelter animals to find their "furever" homes.
Ohio joins another handful of states that have declared shelter pets as their official state pet, including Colorado, California, Georgia, Illinois and Tennesse, according to humanesociety.org.
"Now Ohio, which just last year passed one of the nation’s strongest laws cracking down on puppy mills, has further consolidated its position as a leader on companion animal welfare by joining this elite group," the Humane Society website continued.
Texas and Oregon are also considering doing the same.
What other people are reading right now:
- Man accused of sexually battering 6-year-old girl
- Florida couple forgot they left their toddler at the park for hours: deputies
- Man electrocuted trying to use a metal pole to remove bird from power line
- Fifth earthquake strikes near Alabama-Florida state line
- 'Dreamer' flight attendant detained by ICE after flying to Mexico for her job
►Make it easy to keep up-to-date with more stories like this. Download the 10News app now.
Have a news tip? Email desk@wtsp.com, or visit our Facebook page or Twitter feed.
