For Babydog, it’s time to help the greyhounds

A Second Chance for West Virginia’s Greyhounds: Babydog and the Greyhound Protection Act

From Political Mascot to Policy Champion

Provpnadvice.com – West Virginia’s greyhound racing industry stands at a crossroads, with a new federal proposal offering both hope for thousands of racing dogs and an opportunity for Senator Jim Justice to revisit a decision made nearly ten years ago. The Greyhound Protection Act, currently moving through congressional consideration, would end the controversial practice that has kept dogs running on tracks while the state pours millions into subsidies each year.

At the center of this legislative moment sits Babydog, a red fawn greyhound whose presence in Justice family life has transcended the role of mere pet. What began as a Christmas gift in 2019 has evolved into something far more significant—a symbol of the kind of compassion Justice claims to extend to all animals, and a living reminder of the dogs still trapped in West Virginia’s racing circuit.

Babydog’s political journey mirrors her family’s own trajectory through public service. In 2021, she became the face of West Virginia’s ambitious $23 million “Do It for Babydog” COVID vaccine sweepstakes, a campaign that successfully encouraged millions of residents to get vaccinated. Her influence extended beyond health policy, however. During Justice’s 2022 State of the State address, the senator famously lifted Babydog’s hindquarters toward the audience, directing critics to “kiss her hiney” in a moment that captured both affection and political defiance.

She is not only an adorable and important member of the Justice family, she is a political icon.

The Weight of a Veto

Justice’s relationship with greyhound racing extends well beyond Babydog. In 2017, as governor, he vetoed legislation that would have ended the state’s commitment to an industry in decline. The bill had cleared the West Virginia Legislature, repealing the mandate that requires greyhound racing and eliminating the $19 million annual subsidy that currently supports it.

For advocates like the author of this piece—president of the Federation of Humane Organizations of West Virginia since its founding in 1994—the veto was devastating. The organization has served as the state’s sole comprehensive animal welfare advocate for nearly three decades, watching as greyhounds continued to be bred, injured, confined, and ultimately discarded when no longer profitable.

The consequences of that 2017 decision have been measurable. Since Justice’s veto, approximately 4,000 greyhound injuries have been recorded in West Virginia alone. Among those statistics are 1,367 dogs that suffered broken bones and 84 that died while racing on state tracks. One particularly tragic case involved GF St Barts, a two-year-old red fawn greyhound who perished at Mardi Gras in April 2022 after being tripped by another dog, resulting in a fatal skull fracture.

Politics Through a Pooch Versus Policy Through Action

The contrast between Babydog’s privileged existence and the fate of racing greyhounds has never been more stark. Babydog has sat in her own chair at the 2024 Republican National Convention. She has her own waterfall—Babydog Falls—christened in Babcock State Park in 2023. Her image adorns Senate campaign merchandise bearing the phrase “Babydog Demands Justice.” Last October, her sixth birthday was celebrated in the Hart Senate Office Building, attended by journalists, staffers, and fellow senators.

Yet politics performed through a beloved pet and politics demonstrated through meaningful policy remain fundamentally different endeavors. When Justice asked West Virginians to get vaccinated for Babydog in 2021, millions of dollars and extensive national coverage followed. The campaign succeeded because people believed in the sincerity behind the gesture. Now, the senator faces a moment where policy must match sentiment.

Thousands of greyhounds in West Virginia will never experience the luxuries Babydog enjoys. They will never ride shotgun in a Suburban, never have a waterfall named in their honor, and never sit in a chair at a national convention. Instead, they continue running in circles on tracks that 44 other states have already closed to racing, sustained only by the very subsidies that could support roads, healthcare, and other critical state programs.

Economic Reality and Voter Sentiment

Recent polling indicates that West Virginians are ready for change. Sixty-five percent of voters now support the Greyhound Protection Act, while only 25 percent oppose it. Independent economic research has further validated what advocates have long argued: greyhound racing delivers no lasting employment benefits and has no measurable effect on the state’s gross domestic product.

A comprehensive study from Ball State University confirmed that the industry survives solely because millions of dollars are diverted to it annually. The researchers concluded there is “simply no net fiscal benefit of greyhound racing on West Virginia.” After nearly three decades of animal advocacy in the state, the author of this perspective notes that there are numerous better uses for $19 million each year than propping up an industry that West Virginians increasingly no longer desire.

A Redemption Opportunity

The Greyhound Protection Act offers Justice something rare in politics: a chance for redemption. A redo. Whether Justice would make a different decision today if given the opportunity to reconsider his 2017 veto remains uncertain. Regardless, his original decision provided the industry one final opportunity to evolve. Instead, racing operators resisted every reform, and 4,000 dogs have suffered needlessly as a result.

The farm bill presents a critical moment for change. It gives Justice the chance to demonstrate that the safety and love he has provided Babydog represents the kind of protection that greyhounds across West Virginia deserve as well. The dogs are waiting. The voters are ready. And Babydog, once again, stands at the center of a movement that could finally bring an end to greyhound racing in the Mountain State.