Arts secretary says Babydog is part of WV’s history, should be in taxpayer-funded Capitol murals

A dog that looks similar to Gov. Jim Justice's English bulldog Babydog appeared in one of the new murals in the West Virginia Capitol. (Perry Bennett | West Virginia Legislative Photography)

How did Babydog, the governor’s popular English bulldog, end up in a taxpayer-funded mural in the West Virginia Capitol?

The decision came under the direction of Randall Reid-Smith, secretary for the Department of Arts, Culture and History, who said the dog is a part of state history and belonged on the newly-unveiled murals that also depict Seneca Rocks, Harper’s Ferry, glassblowing and more.

“People will always remember Babydog, and so that is creating history,” Reid-Smith said Tuesday on MetroNews’ “ Talkline .”

Gov. Jim Justice told a reporter on Monday that it wasn’t his decision to immortalize his dog in the murals, which were unveiled in the upper rotunda of the state Capitol last week on West Virginia Day.

“To be perfectly honest, I wasn’t a part of that,” said Justice, who is running for a U.S. Senate seat. “I think the whole process was — and I think Randall can better explain all this — because I was just as shocked as anybody.”

The murals were part of the vision initially designed by Capitol architect Cass Gilbert, according to the Justice administration.

They were installed and created by artists with the Connecticut-based firm John Canning & Co. A representative for the company appeared interested in commenting on the process for the murals via email on Friday, however on Tuesday they directed all questions regarding the project to Reid-Smith.

To date, the state has paid nearly $350,000 to the John Canning & Co. for the installation of the four unveiled murals, according to records with the state Auditor’s office . The four remaining murals are set to be dedicated and revealed later this year.

According to renderings of the murals released on April 3, the English bulldog was not included in drafts for the project.

Reid-Smith explained that upon reviewing those drafts, he and other top members of the Justice administration felt it needed some additional content; they added a cardinal (the state bird), an elk and Babydog.

“There was unanimity that we should have a dog in it, and then we all thought about Babydog,” said Reid-Smith, who did not return an interview request for this story by deadline.

Justice said, according to Reid-Smith, that the dog included in the mural — despite its resemblance — is not Babydog herself but her “20th grandma.”

Babydog central to Justice’s political persona

While Justice owns multiple dogs, Babydog serves as his constant companion as well as a political prop.

She appears regularly beside him, often seated in a wagon or camping chair, at both campaign events and gubernatorial addresses. Her likeness was used for a massive $23 million COVID-19 vaccination campaign, dubbed “Do It for Babydog,” where residents who received vaccines were entered into sweepstakes to win anything from cash to guns to trucks.

That campaign — and the Justice Administration — later came under federal investigation and criticism for the use of taxpayer dollars to buy the prizes from private businesses. Justice vehemently denied any wrongdoing in the sweepstakes.

The bulldog has also been used by the governor to lobby for and against different political moves, including in 2022 when he took her on a statewide tour to lobby against Amendment 2, a constitutional amendment up for vote that would have, if passed, allowed the Legislature to eliminate certain personal property taxes. In the lead up to voters failing the constitutional amendment, Babydog, in events and meetings across the state, gave a “paws down” to the proposal.

In Kanawha County , as she sat adorned in a crown less than two weeks before the election, commissioners passed a resolution declaring her an “official search and rescue first responder” for “seeking the truth” about Amendment 2.

During campaigns for office, candidates statewide have boasted getting Babydog’s endorsement for their runs.

Outside of politics, she’s the inspiration for and face of the Babydog Boutique shop at The Greenbrier resort, which is owned by Justice, where visitors can buy gourmet dog treats, toys and more.

Justice’s campaign store for his current U.S. Senate run includes bumper stickers, mugs, T-shirts and more with her face and name.

Perhaps the dog’s most notorious moment came during Justice’s 2022 State of the State speech, when the governor flashed her rear to the crowd and cameras with the message “Kiss her heinie.” The move was his response to a social media post from singer and actress Bette Middler, who had called West Virginians “poor, illiterate and strung out.’

‘A clear misuse of taxpayer dollars’

All changes to the Capitol, built in 1932, must be approved by the Capitol Building Commission. Reid-Smith serves as chairman of that commission. The decision to pay for and install the murals was voted on by the commission more than a decade ago, according to Reid-Smith.

More recently, Reid-Smith said the mural scene installed featuring Babydog’s likeness was approved by himself, state Museums Director Charles Morris, Deputy Chief of Staff Ann Urling, Administration Secretary Mark Scott and Director of Intergovernmental Affairs Rebecca Blaine instead of an official state commission.

In May, the Gazette-Mail’s Phil Kabler received a response from counsel for the Governor’s Office regarding a Freedom of Information Act request he filed relating to the state’s decision to enter into a contract with John Canning & Co. for the mural installation despite the current building commission never voting to approve the work.

The response, according to Kabler, was limited to a copy of the April 3 press release announcing the murals. No other documents were included, leaving the recent process for how the murals and their installation were approved somewhat of a mystery.

That lack of transparency regarding the approval for the murals and how they were crafted and designed, among other things, has angered some in the state who see Babydog’s inclusion as nothing more than a political stunt months before the election.

“Gov. Jim Justice’s decision to include a permanent mural of his English bulldog, Babydog, in the state Capitol is a clear misuse of taxpayer dollars,” said state Democratic Party Chairman Mike Pushkin. “This mural, painted at public expense, was commissioned without public review or comment and circumvented the normal, approved process for capital renovations. Our state has pressing needs that should take precedence over personal projects.”

Editor’s note: This story has been corrected to say that John Canning & Co. is based in Connecticut.

The post Arts secretary says Babydog is part of WV’s history, should be in taxpayer-funded Capitol murals appeared first on West Virginia Watch .