It’s been a ruff day for Senator-elect Jim Justice of West Virginia and his famous pooch, Babydog.
Babydog Justice, the unofficial mascot of Justice’s campaign for Senate, has reportedly been banned from the voting floor, according to reporting from Axios.
Axios reports that dogs are not allowed on the Senate floor unless they are verifiable service animals, and even then require additional screening for potential allergies.
Justice was reportedly informed of the decision during Tuesday’s orientation for Senators-elect at the Capitol Rotunda. Dogs are regularly allowed on Capitol premises, including elected officials’ offices. This ban appears to only apply to the Senate floor, where the legislative body votes.
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Babydog, dog of West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice, appears onstage on the second day of the Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum on July 16, 2024, in Milwaukee. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
The celebrity hound first made waves on a national scale over the summer at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee where she joined her dad, then-Governor Jim Justice, in a dog-sized chair on stage.
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Babydog sitting in her chair at the RNC. (Leon Neal/Getty Images)
“I know that a lot of you want to meet my little buddy,” said Justice. “So if Babydog could come on out here.”
She has been a fixture in West Virginia politics since she was given to Justice by his children for Christmas in 2019.
Gov. of West Virginia Jim Justice speaks accompanied by Babydog on Day 2 of the Republican National Convention (RNC), at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, on July 16, 2024. (REUTERS/Mike Segar)
“Since then, she has become a favorite among West Virginians across the state. Babydog travels with the Governor to nearly every stop and is the only one who rivals his popularity. She has truly become a mainstay in West Virginia politics,” a spokesperson for Justice said to Fox News Digital.
It is unclear if any resolutions may pass to make an exception for Babydog Justice or other Senate pooches to make appearances on the floor.
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Representatives for Senator-elect Jim Justice did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Source: www.foxnews.com