Texas State Dog Breed
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Texas State Dog Breed: Blue Lacy
Blue Lady Drifter owned by Marlo Riley
Used with permission. |
Adoption of the Texas State Dog Breed
The Blue Lacy, a breed that originated in the mid 1800s, was first recognized by the State of Texas in
an "official" capacity in 2001 by the Texas Senate. In Senate Resolution No. 436, the blue lacy was honored as a "...a true Texas breed."
Senate Resolution No. 436 resolved
"...That the Senate of the State of Texas, 77th Legislature, hereby honor the Blue Lacy dog breed as a true
Texas breed."
On March 15, 2005, Representative Joaquin Castro filed House Concurrent Resolution No. 108 proposing the blue lacy as "...the official state dog breed of Texas." The legislation was proposed to recognize the original breeders and their contribution to the State of Texas and to recognize the blue lacy as a Texas Original.
The following is the text of House Concurrent Resolution No. 108:
H.C.R. No. 108
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, The State of Texas has traditionally recognized a
variety of official state symbols as tangible representations of
the proud spirit and heritage of our state; and
WHEREAS, Like the Texas longhorn, the Blue Lacy is a Texas
original; the only dog breed to have originated in this state, Lacys
are named for brothers George, Ewin, Frank, and Harry Lacy, who
moved to Texas from Kentucky in 1858 and settled in the area of
Burnet County; and
WHEREAS, The Lacy family bred cattle and hogs, so it was
natural that they would also breed dogs to work them; the family is
said to have used greyhound, scenthound, and coyote stock in
creating the animal that took their name; and
WHEREAS, For a hundred years, Blue Lacys were a common
fixture on ranches in the Southwest, where it was said that one such
dog could do the work of five cowboys; intelligent, energetic,
fast, eager to work, and easy to train and handle, Lacys herded
cattle, hogs, and chickens, and also served as droving and hunting
dogs; and
WHEREAS, With the declining use of working dogs on ranches,
Lacys almost disappeared as a breed; since 1975, however, there has
been a dedicated effort to save them, and their numbers now total
more than a thousand; most registered Lacys are currently bred in
Texas and sold to residents of the state; and
WHEREAS, While these gentle, versatile dogs continue to be
used on ranches, they are also becoming highly prized again as
hunting dogs and are proving valuable, as well, in search and rescue
work, owing to their keen scent-trailing ability; in addition,
their easygoing way with children, their aptitude for jogging,
agility courses, and games of Frisbee, and their suitability as
watch dogs are all contributing to their growing popularity as
family pets; and
WHEREAS, A medium-sized dog with a short, smooth, sleek coat,
the Lacy stands from 18 to 25 inches tall when full-grown and weighs
approximately 30 to 50 pounds; all Lacys carry a rare blue-color
gene, even though they are divided into three color
classifications: blue, red, and tri-color; and
WHEREAS, Lacys are recognized and registered through the
National Kennel Club, Continental Kennel Club, Universal Kennel
International, Lacy Game Dog Registry, Texas Lacy Game Dog
Association, and American Pet Registry, Inc.; and
WHEREAS, Along with its place of origin and its ranching
pedigree, this companionable dog boasts yet another association
with the State of Texas: in the 1880s, the Lacys were one of three
families who donated granite from Granite Mountain for the building
of the new State Capitol; and
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Texas State Dog Breed: Blue Lacy
Gus (owned by Mike Sutton) Working Cows
Used with permission. |
WHEREAS, The Blue Lacy is a Texas native, a working dog bred
to play an essential role in ranch operations, at a time when
ranches themselves became one of the iconic Texas symbols, and a dog
that has more than pulled its weight on many a Texas spread; this
proud heritage assuredly gives the Lacy a unique and powerful claim
of its own to represent the Lone Star State; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the 79th Legislature of the State of Texas
hereby designate the Blue Lacy as the official State Dog Breed of
Texas.
House Concurrent Resolution No. 108 was adopted by the Texas House of Representatives on May 15, 2005 and by the Senate ten days later on May 25, 2005.
Governor Rick Perry signed the legislation adopting the Blue Lacy as "...the official State Dog Breed of Texas" on June 18, 2005.
Additional Information
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Texas State Dog Breed: Blue Lacy
General owned by Hugh McClellan
Used with permission. |
Pink Granite, Blue Lacy:
by Peggy Heinkel-Wolfe, Argyle. Texas Highways Travel Magazine.
Blue Lacy:
Information and history of Blue Lacy from thebreedsofdogs.com.
Blue Lacy:
Dog Breed Info Center from dogbreedinfo.com.
Texas Lacy Game Dog Association:
The official site of the Texas Lacy Game Dog Association.
Lacy Game Dog Registry:
Web site of the Lacy Game Dog Registry.
State Dog List:
List of all of the state Dogs.
State Names, Seals, Flags, and Symbols:
A Historical Guide, Third Edition - Benjamin F. Shearer and Barbara S. Shearer, Greenwood Press, 2002
State Names, Flags, Seals, Songs, Birds, Flowers and Other Symbols:
A Study based on historical documents giving the origin and significance of the state names, nicknames, mottoes, seals,
flowers, birds, songs, and descriptive comments on the capitol buildings and on some of the leading state histories,
Revised Edition - George Earlie Shankle, Ph.D., The H.W. Wilson Company, 1938 (Reprint Services Corp. 1971)
Source: Legislative Reference Library of Texas, (http://www.lrl.state.tx.us/), July 29, 2005 |
