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Babydog

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This article is about the dog owned by Jim Justice. For juvenile dogs, see Puppy.
Babydog Justice
Babydog, a fat English bulldog wearing a pink harness, sitting in the bed of a truck.
Babydog in 2021
SpeciesDog
BreedEnglish Bulldog
SexFemale
Born (2019-10-24) October 24, 2019 (age 5)
West Virginia, U.S.
OwnerJim Justice
Weight60 lb (27 kg)[1]

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

Personal life

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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.[6] Justice has described Babydog as a "little rascal who looks like a brown watermelon that loves everybody".[7] She loves chicken nuggets from Wendy's and hates celery.[8]

In February 2024, Babydog successfully underwent ligament surgery.[9]

Life in politics

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Jim Justice, a man with white hair, holding his fat English bulldog in his lap. A woman sitting to his left uses her right hand to pet the dog while holding in her left hand a large check shaped like a dog treat. The check reads "Do It For Babydog. Save A Life. Change Your Life." and has a value of one million US dollars.
Babydog and Jim Justice presenting a prize to a winner of the "Do It for Babydog" sweepstakes
External videos
video icon 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.[10][11][12]

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".[13]

In 2023, a waterfall in Babcock State Park was renamed to "Babydog Falls" in her honor.[14] 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.[15][16] In August 2024, associates of Jim Justice registered a political action committee named the "Babydog's Almost Heaven PAC".[17][18]

Babydog appeared with Justice on the second day of the 2024 Republican National Convention, which garnered cheers from attendees.[1][19] The New York Times reported that her reception had "an energy generally reserved only for former President Donald J. Trump".[20]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c Suliman, Adela (July 17, 2024). "Meet Babydog, the 60-pound bulldog who stole the show at RNC convention". Washington Post. Retrieved July 17, 2024.
  2. ^ 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. Retrieved July 17, 2024.
  3. ^ Baxter, Holly (July 16, 2024). "Babydog Justice appears on RNC speaker schedule, in surprise twist". The Independent. Retrieved July 17, 2024.
  4. ^ "Babydog: WV Gov. Jim Justice's Secret Canine Weapon". June 27, 2024.
  5. ^ Robertson, Campbell (October 15, 2023). "'Big Jim' and Babydog Go to Washington?". The New York Times – via NYTimes.com.
  6. ^ 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.
  7. ^ Susa, Maggie (October 28, 2022). "Happy birthday, Babydog! Governor's pet celebrates turning 3 this week". The Herald-Dispatch. Retrieved July 17, 2024.
  8. ^ McNamara, Sylvie (July 17, 2024). "Not to Brag, but I Personally Know Babydog". Washingtonian. Retrieved July 21, 2024.
  9. ^ Hannahs, Alyssa (February 13, 2024). "Babydog out of surgery, Gov. Jim Justice says". wsaz. Retrieved July 18, 2024.
  10. ^ Brown, Erica (June 21, 2023). "West Virginia governor defends "Do it for Babydog" vaccine lottery after federal subpoena - CBS News". www.cbsnews.com.
  11. ^ "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.
  12. ^ BASS, KENNIE (June 18, 2021). "'She makes people feel good:' How Babydog became the face of W.Va.'s vaccine campaign". WSET. Retrieved July 18, 2024.
  13. ^ 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.
  14. ^ Brown, Kassidy (March 30, 2023). "Babydog gets a waterfall in Babcock State Park". WVVA. Retrieved September 2, 2024.
  15. ^ Willingham, Leah (June 30, 2024). "An English bulldog named Babydog makes a surprise appearance in a mural on West Virginia history". AP News. Retrieved July 17, 2024.
  16. ^ Slade, Duncan (June 27, 2024). "Capitol renovation oversight has been skirted for years. Now, West Virginia has a Babydog mural". Mountain State Spotlight. Retrieved August 23, 2024.
  17. ^ "Pet Project: Federal leadership PAC registered, named after Justice's Babydog". newsandsentinel.com/. Retrieved August 24, 2024.
  18. ^ "Associates of West Virginia Gov. Justice start federal leadership PAC in Babydog's name". WV News. August 6, 2024. Retrieved August 24, 2024.
  19. ^ "West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice appears on convention stage with pet bulldog Babydog". July 16, 2024.
  20. ^ Gold, Michael (July 17, 2024). "Babydog, a Plump Bulldog Who Is Apparently a Republican, Charms the R.N.C." The New York Times – via NYTimes.com.
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