Bill would make Toto's breed, cairn terrier, Kansas state dog

TOPEKA, Kan., Jan. 31 (UPI) -- A Kansas state lawmaker is proposing a measure to make the cairn terrier, the breed of Toto from "The Wizard of Oz," into the official state dog.

Democratic state Rep. Ed Trimmer of Winfield, acting on an idea proposed by Brenda Moore of Augusta, obedience chairwoman with the South Central Kansas Kennel Club, introduced House Bill No. 251 last week to make the cairn terrier the official state dog, The Wichita (Kan.) Eagle reported Tuesday.

"They just thought we needed a state dog," Trimmer said Thursday. "It is one of those things that when a constituent asks you, you do."

"I realize we have very critical, critical issues at the state level. But our constituents and their issues are very important to them and that's why I introduced it for them," he said.

Moore said cairn terriers are a perfect representation of Kansas because they "have a gusto for life. They are very smart and very loyal, although they can be a little bit of a digger -- like all terriers can."