West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice, elected last week as the state's newest US senator in the place of Joe Manchin, goes everywhere with Babydog, an English bulldog that Justice affectionately calls his "60-pound brown watermelon." But sources tell Axios that on Tuesday, ahead of orientation on Capitol Hill for incoming senators, Justice was given the word that Babydog isn't welcome on the Senate floor—only service dogs are, and only if a screening for possible allergies takes place.
Babydog, a Christmas gift to Justice from his children in 2019, has become a fixture by Justice's side, appearing with him at campaign events and even at the Republican National Convention last summer, per Intelligencer. The warning from Senate staffers reportedly came after another Republican headed for the Senate, Ohio's Bernie Moreno, joked about Babydog making an appearance in the voting chamber. However, Justice now says in a statement to Axios that he's well aware of the rules, and that staffers "do not have to worry about Babydog on the Senate floor."
Babydog herself is speaking up on the matter. "Even though I wasn't in DC today, I got the most headlines," reads a statement from the pooch and her team, per Fox News Digital. "However, I hope that we really focus on bringing the things to this nation to fix our problems." Babydog is still likely to show up on occasion at the Capitol, as multiple senators bring their pets to DC to hang out in their offices. "Many dogs are regulars on the Hill, lounging in their owners' offices and even wandering the halls with members," notes Axios. (More Jim Justice stories.)
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