Georgia’s very good farm dogs get their day with state Department of Agriculture commendations

Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Tyler Harper, Lt. Gov. Burt Jones and about a dozen members of the legislature were on hand to congratulate Skippy and Casper. (Ross Williams/Georgia Recorder)

Two of Georgia’s very good dogs had their day Wednesday in a special ceremony at the Georgia Department of Agriculture headquarters in downtown Atlanta where they were honored for acts of bravery and loyalty.

Skippy, a mixed breed dog from McDuffie County, won this year’s American Farm Bureau Farm Dog of the Year Contest, and another Georgia dog, Casper, a Great Pyrenees from Decatur, took home the People’s Choice Pup Award.

Georgia Secretary of Agriculture Tyler Harper handed commendations to the pups’ owners. Harper said the bond between farmers and their working dogs is often even stronger than the bond between other dog owners and their beloved pooches.