Surrounded by Huskies, Aiken Students Celebrate State Dog During Visit with Gov. Lamont
Students at West Hartford’s Aiken Elementary School were greeted Wednesday morning not only by Gov. Ned Lamont, but also by five Siberian Huskies.
By Ronni Newton
There was a lot going on at West Hartford’s Aiken Elementary School first thing Wednesday morning, where not only were the students greeted by Gov. Ned Lamont, who officially welcomed them back to school, but they also got to participate in an event celebrating the naming of the Siberian Husky as Connecticut’s state dog.
The students embraced the activity – and many also embraced the dogs.
On June 5, 2024, Lamont signed Public Act No. 24-121, which takes effect Oct. 1, 2024, and which in part names the Siberian Husky as the state dog of Connecticut. The state’s most famous Husky – University of Connecticut mascot Jonathan – was among those who lobbied for the naming of the state dog, but so did the Connecticut Valley Siberian Husky Club, which had several members visit Aiken with their dogs on Wednesday morning.
The bill was also supported by the American Kennel Club and the Connecticut Federation of Dog Clubs and Responsible Dog Owners – and their representatives were also at Aiken, and gifted the governor a painting of a Husky.
Laurie Maulucci, president of the CFDRDO, is the grandmother of two Aiken students. She said she worked very closely with Stacey Ober from the American Kennel Club’s Office of Government Relations. “We were the ones to put this event together, to have the Siberian, who is our new state dog, celebrate the signing of the bill.”
The official painting of the Husky, which they hope will be able to hang in the Capitol of Legislative Office Building, was commissioned by the Federation and the AKC. The Connecticut Valley Siberian Husky Club is one of 57 AKC-affiliated clubs in the state, Ober said.
Sabre, the dog who served as the model for the portrait, was one of the Huskies who visited Aiken on Wednesday.
“Thank you, thanks to the Federation. We love the Husky,” Lamont said. While Siberia is cold, desolate, and gray, “the best thing that comes out of Siberia is the Husky,” the governor said. “It’s beautiful, it’s smart, it’s elegant, energetic – just like Connecticut. That’s why it’s the Connecticut mascot dog, that’s why Jonathan’s the mascot at the University of Connecticut. Thank you for representing the best of our state.”
Lamont high-fived the students, as he greeted them with Principal Shannon Mlodzinski. While the kids are enthusiastic about the start of the new school year, he added, “the Siberian Huskies were excited to see the kids here at Aiken Elementary School in West Hartford. … Dogs just bring out the best in folks, and we bring out the best in the Huskies.”
A total of 20 students – one from each classroom – were chosen to pose with the Siberian Huskies and the governor. Many of those students had previously raised money for the Humane Society, Assistant Principal Amy Schmelder said, and they were also sure to choose kids who weren’t afraid of dogs.
The rest of the Aiken community also had a chance to meet the Huskies, as the dogs paraded around the school with their owners.
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