Frankfort 13-year-old leads push to make rescue animal Kentucky's official state pet

Ethan Branscum, a 13-year-old from Frankfort, helped attach a proposal to Senate Bill 37 to name rescue animals Kentucky's official state pet while the bill also designates the Treeing Walker Coonhound as the state dog.

Ethan Branscum, a 13-year-old seventh grader from Frankfort, is leading an effort to make rescue animals Kentucky's official state pet. He has pushed for the change for several years after seeing Ohio name a rescue pet when he was six. This legislative session the proposal was attached as an amendment to Senate Bill 37. The bill also designates the Treeing Walker Coonhound as Kentucky's official state dog. What we know: - Ethan Branscum is a 13-year-old seventh grader from Frankfort who began advocating for a rescue-pet designation at a young age. - The rescue pet proposal was tacked on as an amendment to Senate Bill 37, which also names the Treeing Walker Coonhound as the state dog. - Previous bills on the topic have failed in earlier sessions and a separate bill did not receive a committee hearing this year. - Branscum leads Ethan's Rescue Pet Project, which includes a youth civics and animal welfare group and a homeless pet food pantry, and he hopes to register it as a 501(c)(3). Summary: The article reports the designation is intended to raise awareness about animals in shelters and the work of shelter staff. Undetermined at this time.