The Great Dane has been the official state dog of Pennsylvania since 1965, while New Jersey only recently named the Seeing Eye dog as its official state dog in 2020. The Seeing Eye dog is not a specific breed, but rather a type of dog trained to assist blind individuals. New Jersey is home to one of the oldest Seeing Eye dog facilities in the United States, located in Morristown.

The Seeing Eye facility in New Jersey has been around for over 90 years and breeds and raises dogs to be paired with blind individuals across the United States and Canada. The facility is a non-profit organization that relies on donations and volunteers to continue its work. In addition to the Seeing Eye dog, New Jersey also has other official state animals, including the horse, bog turtle, Brook Trout, Knobbed Whelk, Eastern Goldfinch, and Honeybee.

New Jersey’s official state dog, the Seeing Eye dog, was chosen due to the state being home to one of the premiere Seeing Eye dog facilities in the country. The Seeing Eye facility in Morristown has a long history of breeding and training dogs to assist blind individuals, making it a fitting choice for the state’s official dog. Other official state animals in New Jersey include the horse, bog turtle, Brook Trout, Knobbed Whelk, Eastern Goldfinch, and Honeybee.