I need your help. I am the proud owner of 17 animals. Unfortunately they have all gone missing in the past few weeks and I have a feeling they could be hiding in the States somewhere. Can you help me retrieve them?
$$\begin{array}{align*} \textbf{1a}&\text{South Carolina, California, Oregon, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania,} \\\textbf{ }&\text{Idaho, Ohio, New York} \\\textbf{1b}&\text{Arizona, North Carolina, Alaska, Colorado, Oklahoma, Nevada,} \\\textbf{ }&\text{Delaware, Alabama} \\\textbf{2a}&\text{Utah, Maine, Rhode Island, Wyoming, Delaware, Utah, Ohio, Wyoming} \\\textbf{2b}&\text{Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Tennessee} \\\textbf{3a}&\text{Louisiana, New Mexico, Idaho, Massachusetts, Wisconsin, Florida,} \\\textbf{ }&\text{Mississippi, Minnesota} \\\textbf{3b}&\text{Vermont, South Carolina, Georgia, Wyoming, Wisconsin, Montana} \\\textbf{4a}&\text{Kentucky, California, Tennessee, Virginia, Montana, New Jersey,} \\\textbf{ }&\text{Minnesota, Colorado} \\\textbf{4b}&\text{Pennsylvania, Delaware, Alabama, Wisconsin, Missouri, Connecticut,} \\\textbf{ }&\text{Kentucky} \\\textbf{5a}&\text{Colorado, North Dakota, Oregon} \\\textbf{5b}&\text{Oregon, California} \\\textbf{6a}&\text{South Dakota, Maryland, North Carolina, Virginia, Washington,} \\\textbf{ }&\text{New Jersey} \\\textbf{6b}&\text{New York, Virginia, Vermont, Texas, Iowa, Indiana, Michigan,} \\\textbf{ }&\text{Nebraska, Oklahoma} \\\textbf{7a}&\text{Idaho, Pennsylvania, Connecticut} \\\textbf{7b}&\text{Maine, Texas, Pennsylvania} \\\textbf{8a}&\text{Arizona, California, New Mexico, Oregon, Washington; Arkansas, Iowa,} \\\textbf{ }&\text{Louisiana, Minnesota, Missouri; Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Illinois,} \\\textbf{ }&\text{Indiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina,} \\\textbf{ }&\text{Virginia, West Virginia; California, Idaho, Kansas, Nebraska,} \\\textbf{ }&\text{New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas,} \\\textbf{ }&\text{Utah, Washington} \\\textbf{8b}&\text{Illinois, Kansas, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska,} \\\textbf{ }&\text{North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Wisconsin;} \\\textbf{ }&\text{Colorado, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Texas,} \\\textbf{ }&\text{Wyoming; Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska,} \\\textbf{ }&\text{North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, Utah; Alabama,} \\\textbf{ }&\text{Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Minnesota, Missouri,} \\\textbf{ }&\text{Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas,} \\\textbf{ }&\text{Wisconsin} \end{array}$$