Babydog

File:Jim Justice and Babydog, 2025 (cropped).jpg

Babydog was a gift to Jim Justice from his children in 2019. According to Justice, she got her name as a puppy after Justice would ask "where did that baby dog go?", and the name stuck.{{Cite web |last=Campbell |first=Colin |date=2024-07-17 |title=Who is Babydog? W.Va. Gov. Justice brings his canine sidekick to the RNC stage. |url=https://www.yahoo.com/news/who-is-babydog-wva-gov-justice-brings-his-canine-sidekick-to-the-rnc-stage-004406143.html |access-date=2024-07-17 |website=Yahoo News}} Justice has described Babydog as a "little rascal who looks like a brown watermelon that loves everybody".{{Cite web |last=Susa |first=Maggie |date=2022-10-28 |title=Happy birthday, Babydog! Governor's pet celebrates turning 3 this week |url=https://www.herald-dispatch.com/_zapp/happy-birthday-babydog-governors-pet-celebrates-turning-3-this-week/article_7282a20d-b166-59cd-bc5e-aa38fab736e6.html |access-date=2024-07-17 |website=The Herald-Dispatch |language=en}} She loves chicken nuggets from Wendy's and hates celery.{{Cite web |last=McNamara |first=Sylvie |date=2024-07-17 |title=Not to Brag, but I Personally Know Babydog |url=https://www.washingtonian.com/2024/07/17/not-to-brag-but-i-personally-know-babydog/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240720170535/https://www.washingtonian.com/2024/07/17/not-to-brag-but-i-personally-know-babydog/ |archive-date=July 20, 2024 |access-date=2024-07-21 |website=Washingtonian}}

In February 2024, Babydog successfully underwent ligament surgery.{{Cite web |last=Hannahs |first=Alyssa |date=2024-02-13 |title=Babydog out of surgery, Gov. Jim Justice says |url=https://www.wsaz.com/2024/02/13/babydog-out-surgery-gov-jim-justice-says/ |access-date=2024-07-18 |website=wsaz |language=en}}

File:Sharon Turner from Morgantown; Million-Dollar Winner.jpg

{{external media| float = right| video1 = [https://www.c-span.org/video/?c5124246/senate-candidate-gov-jim-justice 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.{{Cite web |last=Brown |first=Erica |date=June 21, 2023 |title=West Virginia governor defends "Do it for Babydog" vaccine lottery after federal subpoena - CBS News |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/west-virginia-governor-defends-do-it-for-babydog-vaccine-lottery-federal-subpoena/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240718053620/https://www.cbsnews.com/news/west-virginia-governor-defends-do-it-for-babydog-vaccine-lottery-federal-subpoena/ |archive-date=July 18, 2024 |access-date=July 17, 2024 |website=www.cbsnews.com}}{{Cite web |date=September 8, 2023 |title=West Virginia's 'Do it for Babydog' vaccine lottery coverage | WOWK |url=https://www.wowktv.com/community/do-it-for-babydog/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211214191358/https://www.wowktv.com/community/do-it-for-babydog/ |archive-date=December 14, 2021 |access-date=December 14, 2021}}{{Cite web |last=BASS |first=KENNIE |date=2021-06-18 |title='She makes people feel good:' How Babydog became the face of W.Va.'s vaccine campaign |url=https://wset.com/news/local/she-makes-people-feel-good-how-babydog-became-the-face-of-wvas-vaccine-campaign |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240718035537/https://wset.com/news/local/she-makes-people-feel-good-how-babydog-became-the-face-of-wvas-vaccine-campaign |archive-date=July 18, 2024 |access-date=2024-07-18 |website=WSET |language=en}}

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".{{Cite web |last=Stracqualursi |first=Veronica |date=2022-01-28 |title=The ultimate rebuttal: West Virginia governor hoists dog's derrière in cheeky response to critics {{!}} CNN Politics |url=https://www.cnn.com/2022/01/28/politics/jim-justice-west-virginia-babydog-speech/index.html |access-date=2024-07-17 |website=CNN |language=en}}

In 2023, a waterfall in Babcock State Park was renamed to "Babydog Falls" in her honor.{{Cite web |last=Brown |first=Kassidy |date=2023-03-30 |title=Babydog gets a waterfall in Babcock State Park |url=https://www.wvva.com/2023/03/30/babydog-gets-waterfall-babcock-state-park/ |access-date=2024-09-02 |website=WVVA |language=en}} 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.{{Cite web |last=Willingham |first=Leah |date=2024-06-30 |title=An English bulldog named Babydog makes a surprise appearance in a mural on West Virginia history |url=https://apnews.com/article/west-virginia-babydog-mural-capitol-governor-justice-174616f19a07e74ea4dbbd52c3ee1f72 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240717134913/https://apnews.com/article/west-virginia-babydog-mural-capitol-governor-justice-174616f19a07e74ea4dbbd52c3ee1f72 |archive-date=July 17, 2024 |access-date=2024-07-17 |website=AP News}}{{Cite web |last=Slade |first=Duncan |date=2024-06-27 |title=Capitol renovation oversight has been skirted for years. Now, West Virginia has a Babydog mural |url=https://mountainstatespotlight.org/2024/06/27/babydog-mural-jim-justice-capitol/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240823210210/https://mountainstatespotlight.org/2024/06/27/babydog-mural-jim-justice-capitol/ |archive-date=August 23, 2024 |access-date=2024-08-23 |website=Mountain State Spotlight |language=en-US}} In August 2024, associates of Jim Justice registered a political action committee named the "Babydog's Almost Heaven PAC".{{Cite web |title=Pet Project: Federal leadership PAC registered, named after Justice's Babydog |url=https://www.newsandsentinel.com/news/local-news/2024/08/pet-project-federal-leadership-pac-registered-named-after-justices-babydog/ |access-date=2024-08-24 |website=newsandsentinel.com/ |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |date=2024-08-06 |title=Associates of West Virginia Gov. Justice start federal leadership PAC in Babydog's name |url=https://www.wvnews.com/news/wvnews/associates-of-west-virginia-gov-justice-start-federal-leadership-pac-in-babydog-s-name/article_15c90294-5422-11ef-a2c1-2fd6128facbc.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240824193039/https://www.wvnews.com/news/wvnews/associates-of-west-virginia-gov-justice-start-federal-leadership-pac-in-babydog-s-name/article_15c90294-5422-11ef-a2c1-2fd6128facbc.html |archive-date=August 24, 2024 |access-date=2024-08-24 |website=WV News |language=en}}

Babydog appeared with Justice on the second day of the 2024 Republican National Convention, which garnered cheers from attendees.{{Cite web |date=July 16, 2024 |title=West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice appears on convention stage with pet bulldog Babydog |url=https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/4776389-west-virginia-gov-jim-justice-appears-on-rnc-stage-with-pet-bulldog-babydog/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240717000705/https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/4776389-west-virginia-gov-jim-justice-appears-on-rnc-stage-with-pet-bulldog-babydog/ |archive-date=July 17, 2024 |access-date=July 17, 2024}} The New York Times reported that her reception had "an energy generally reserved only for former President Donald J. Trump".{{Cite news |last=Gold |first=Michael |date=July 17, 2024 |title=Babydog, a Plump Bulldog Who Is Apparently a Republican, Charms the R.N.C. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/16/us/politics/jim-justice-babydog.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240717024750/https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/16/us/politics/jim-justice-babydog.html |archive-date=July 17, 2024 |access-date=July 17, 2024 |work=The New York Times |via=NYTimes.com}} In November 2024, Babydog was banned from appearing on the floor of the United States Senate because she is not a service dog.{{Cite web |last=Lawler |first=Dave |last2=Kight |first2=Stef |date=2024-11-12 |title="Babydog" banned: Jim Justice's bulldog can't visit Senate floor |url=https://www.axios.com/2024/11/12/babydog-jim-justice-senate-floor |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241211135211/https://www.axios.com/2024/11/12/babydog-jim-justice-senate-floor |archive-date=December 11, 2024 |access-date=2025-01-10 |website=Axios |language=en}}

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