Tennessee joins 13 other states who have official state dogs. Maryland was the first to name a dog breed as a state symbol, choosing the Chesapeake Bay Retriever to represent the state in 1964.

Gov. Bill Lee signed Tennessee House Bill 999 in March after it was filed in the house in February. The University of Tennessee selected the bluetick coonhound "Smokey" as its official mascot on Sept.

Tennessee mascot Smokey runs across the end zone after a touchdown in the first half of an NCAA college football game against South Carolina, Saturday, Oct. 26, 2019, in Knoxville, Tenn. (AP Photo ...

Tim Patnode, who was serving as the Tennessee mascot for women's athletics when he was ejected from the 1996 NCAA title game, went pro. He served as the team mascot for the NHL’s San Jose Sharks ...