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After a real dog and puppy show, lawmakers decided Wednesday to throw a bone to dog lovers and advance a bill to declare the golden retriever as the official "state domestic animal."

Golden retriever puppies were passed around the room, and a therapy dog named Gus appeared with his owner at the witness stand as the Senate Government Operations Committee passed SB53 on a 2-1 vote, and sent it to the full Senate.

Sen. Aaron Osmond, R-South Jordan, sponsor of the bill, explained that a fourth grade class taught by Alli Despain at South Jordan's Daybreak Elementary came up with the idea, after seeing that a fourth grade class from Monroe managed to change the state tree last year. Students from the school packed the hearing room.

Despain said students found that dogs were Utahns' favorite pet, and the golden retriever was among the most popular breeds.

Maureen Kilgour, Gus' owner, testified as the therapy dog wagged his tail.

"They are bred to be around people," she said of the breed. "They have a friendly disposition… They have a capacity for love that I have never seen."

Sen. Karen Mayne, D-West Valley, a self-proclaimed lover of the breed, say they show all the characteristics that Utahns love, "and there's nothing cuter than a golden retriever puppy."

Chuck Newton, a member of the South Jordan City Council, said a dog deserves to be the state domestic animal. "Who else can scare away the irritating door-to-door salesman, or give you a great big smile after your day has been 'ruff'?" He said his city council gives the bill "four paws up."

No one testified against the bill, although several groups have opposed it in the press — some pushing for cats or other dog breeds, including animal shelters that note the Labrador is actually the most popular breed in Utah by far.

House Majority Leader Jim Dunnigan, R-Taylorsville, said Wednesday that he wishes the Legislature would not spend time on such bills.

"We have significant issues that need to take a lot of our time and brainpower. I hope we devote our time to that. Maybe someone could ask themselves if there is anything more important than trying to come up with the state animal," he said.

Four states have state dogs: the Alaskan Malamute in Alaska; the Catahoula leopard dog in Louisiana; the Chesapeake Bay retriever in Maryland; and the American water spaniel in Wisconsin. Two states also have a state cat: the Maine coon cat in Maine, and the calico cat in Maryland.