Babydog

Last updated

Babydog Justice
Babydog Official Headshot 28 Feb 2025.jpg
Official portrait, 2025
Species Canis familiaris
Breed English Bulldog
SexFemale
Born (2019-10-27) October 27, 2019 (age 5)
West Virginia, U.S.
Owner Jim Justice
Weight60 lb (27 kg) [1]

Babydog Justice (born October 27, 2019) [2] is an English bulldog [3] [4] owned by current Senator and former Governor Jim Justice of West Virginia. [5] [6] Described by the Washington Post as a "fixture in West Virginia politics", she is known for regularly accompanying Justice at public engagements. [1]

Contents

Personal life

Babydog was a gift to Jim Justice from his children in 2019. According to Justice, she got her name as a puppy after Justice's grandson would keep calling her Babydog. The name stuck, giving Babydog her famous name. [7] Justice has described Babydog as a "little rascal who looks like a brown watermelon that loves everybody". [8] She loves chicken nuggets from Wendy's and hates celery. [9]

In February 2024, Babydog successfully underwent ligament surgery. [10] On October 15 2025, Babydog's sixth birthday was celebrated in the Hart Senate Office Building of the U.S. Senate in spite of a federal government shutdown at the time. The party was attended by fans, journalists, and politicians such as Tommy Tuberville and Chuck Grassley. Cakes and snacks shaped like Babydog were served. [11]

Life in politics

Babydog and Jim Justice presenting a prize to a winner of the "Do It for Babydog" sweepstakes Sharon Turner from Morgantown; Million-Dollar Winner.jpg
Babydog and Jim Justice presenting a prize to a winner of the "Do It for Babydog" sweepstakes
External videos
Nuvola apps kaboodle.svg Speech by Justice at the 2024 Republican National Convention featuring Babydog, C-SPAN

During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021, Justice used the slogan "Do It for Babydog" to promote a vaccine lottery designed to encourage West Virginians to get vaccinated against COVID-19. [12] [13] [14]

Due to Babydog's frequent appearances with Justice at various press conferences and events within West Virginia, Babydog quickly became a popular figure within West Virginian politics. One particular event in 2022 gained national attention: while delivering the annual State of the State Address, Justice responded to a tweet by actress Bette Midler calling West Virginians "poor, illiterate, and strung out" (in response to Senator and former Governor Joe Manchin's opposition to President Joe Biden's Build Back Better Plan) by holding Babydog up and telling Midler, as well as his critics, to "kiss her hiney". [15]

In 2023, a waterfall in Babcock State Park was renamed to "Babydog Falls" in her honor. [16] Additionally, in June 2024, a mural depicting West Virginian history was unveiled at the West Virginia State Capitol, and it included a likeness of Babydog. [17] [18] In August 2024, associates of Jim Justice registered a political action committee named the "Babydog's Almost Heaven PAC". [19] [20]

Babydog appeared with Justice on the second day of the 2024 Republican National Convention, which garnered cheers from attendees. [1] [21] The New York Times reported that her reception had "an energy generally reserved only for former President Donald J. Trump". [22] In November 2024, Babydog was banned from appearing on the floor of the United States Senate because she is not a service dog. [23] In April 2025, Jim Justice shared a testimony to the Senate on behalf of Babydog about the importance of love. Her testimony was admitted to the record without objection. [24]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 Suliman, Adela (July 17, 2024). "Meet Babydog, the 60-pound bulldog who stole the show at RNC convention". Washington Post. Archived from the original on July 17, 2024. Retrieved July 17, 2024.
  2. ↑ "MEET BABYDOG JUSTICE". Senator Justice. Retrieved October 17, 2025.
  3. ↑ Heim, Madeline (July 17, 2024). "Who is Babydog Justice, the dog onstage at RNC in Milwaukee". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel - Milwaukee and Wisconsin breaking news and investigations. Archived from the original on July 17, 2024. Retrieved July 17, 2024.
  4. ↑ Baxter, Holly (July 16, 2024). "Babydog Justice appears on RNC speaker schedule, in surprise twist". The Independent. Archived from the original on July 18, 2024. Retrieved July 17, 2024.
  5. ↑ "Babydog: WV Gov. Jim Justice's Secret Canine Weapon". June 27, 2024. Archived from the original on July 17, 2024. Retrieved July 17, 2024.
  6. ↑ Robertson, Campbell (October 15, 2023). "'Big Jim' and Babydog Go to Washington?". The New York Times. Archived from the original on November 11, 2023. Retrieved July 17, 2024– via NYTimes.com.
  7. ↑ Campbell, Colin (July 17, 2024). "Who is Babydog? W.Va. Gov. Justice brings his canine sidekick to the RNC stage". Yahoo News. Retrieved July 17, 2024.
  8. ↑ Susa, Maggie (October 28, 2022). "Happy birthday, Babydog! Governor's pet celebrates turning 3 this week". The Herald-Dispatch. Retrieved July 17, 2024.
  9. ↑ McNamara, Sylvie (July 17, 2024). "Not to Brag, but I Personally Know Babydog". Washingtonian. Archived from the original on July 20, 2024. Retrieved July 21, 2024.
  10. ↑ Hannahs, Alyssa (February 13, 2024). "Babydog out of surgery, Gov. Jim Justice says". wsaz. Retrieved July 18, 2024.
  11. ↑ Cotler, Ethan (October 15, 2025). "'Babydog' Has 6th Birthday in Senate Building Despite Shutdown". The Daily Beast. Retrieved October 17, 2025.
  12. ↑ Brown, Erica (June 21, 2023). "West Virginia governor defends "Do it for Babydog" vaccine lottery after federal subpoena - CBS News". www.cbsnews.com. Archived from the original on July 18, 2024. Retrieved July 17, 2024.
  13. ↑ "West Virginia's 'Do it for Babydog' vaccine lottery coverage | WOWK". September 8, 2023. Archived from the original on December 14, 2021. Retrieved December 14, 2021.
  14. ↑ BASS, KENNIE (June 18, 2021). "'She makes people feel good:' How Babydog became the face of W.Va.'s vaccine campaign". WSET. Archived from the original on July 18, 2024. Retrieved July 18, 2024.
  15. ↑ Stracqualursi, Veronica (January 28, 2022). "The ultimate rebuttal: West Virginia governor hoists dog's derrière in cheeky response to critics | CNN Politics". CNN. Retrieved July 17, 2024.
  16. ↑ Brown, Kassidy (March 30, 2023). "Babydog gets a waterfall in Babcock State Park". WVVA. Retrieved September 2, 2024.
  17. ↑ Willingham, Leah (June 30, 2024). "An English bulldog named Babydog makes a surprise appearance in a mural on West Virginia history". AP News. Archived from the original on July 17, 2024. Retrieved July 17, 2024.
  18. ↑ Slade, Duncan (June 27, 2024). "Capitol renovation oversight has been skirted for years. Now, West Virginia has a Babydog mural". Mountain State Spotlight. Archived from the original on August 23, 2024. Retrieved August 23, 2024.
  19. ↑ "Pet Project: Federal leadership PAC registered, named after Justice's Babydog". newsandsentinel.com/. Retrieved August 24, 2024.
  20. ↑ "Associates of West Virginia Gov. Justice start federal leadership PAC in Babydog's name". WV News. August 6, 2024. Archived from the original on August 24, 2024. Retrieved August 24, 2024.
  21. ↑ "West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice appears on convention stage with pet bulldog Babydog". July 16, 2024. Archived from the original on July 17, 2024. Retrieved July 17, 2024.
  22. ↑ Gold, Michael (July 17, 2024). "Babydog, a Plump Bulldog Who Is Apparently a Republican, Charms the R.N.C." The New York Times. Archived from the original on July 17, 2024. Retrieved July 17, 2024– via NYTimes.com.
  23. ↑ Lawler, Dave; Kight, Stef (November 12, 2024). ""Babydog" banned: Jim Justice's bulldog can't visit Senate floor". Axios. Archived from the original on December 11, 2024. Retrieved January 10, 2025.
  24. ↑ Richards, Bailey. "Republican Senator Brings His Bulldog 'Babydog,' His Go-To Attention Grabber, to Testify at Senate Hearing". People.com. Retrieved October 17, 2025.
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