Meet the Dogs of the Senate, Round II

By Alex Gangitano

Posted July 10, 2017 at 5:00am

A few friendly dogs roaming around can help make today’s tough political climate a bit easier to deal with.

In May, we featured some dogs who hang out regularly in Senate offices, either as official “office dogs,” or because they belong to staffers who like to bring them in.

[Meet the Dogs of the Senate]

So, back by popular demand, here is round two of the dogs of the Senate. Come back Tuesday to meet more dogs of the House.

Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C.

Charlie, left, and Tilly in North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis’ office know which Capitol Police officers carry dog treats. (Courtesy Tillis’ office)

Charlie, Pembroke Welsh corgi, 3 years

Tilly, Boston terrier, 7 months

“Charlie and Tilly have befriended several Capitol Police officers throughout the Dirksen and Hart Senate office buildings, and have learned which ones keep dog treats at their stations,” Charlie’s owner, Daniel Keylin, communications director for Sen. Thom Tillis, said in an email. Tilly’s owner is Lexie Hosier, Tillis’ digital director.

Tilly poses with Tillis. (Courtesy Tillis' office) — Tillis and Tilly, who got to attend a committee hearing with him. (Courtesy Tillis’ office)

“During a recent visit to the Senate, Charlie roamed into the senator’s office, jumped on his coffee table, and attempted to gnaw at the senator’s prized stuffed duck,” Keylin said. “Fortunately, the stuffed duck was swiftly removed from the table and was not harmed.”

“Tilly loves being part of Team Tillis,” Hosier said in an email. “She makes friends with just about anyone she comes in contact with, she’s very bipawtisan. Her favorite part about coming to the office are the treats and attention she gets! Tilly loves Sen. Tillis, and even got to attend a committee hearing with him.”

Sen. David Perdue, R-Ga.

Pepper (Courtesy of Perdue's office) — Pepper moved to D.C. from Phenix City, Ala., last year. (Courtesy Perdue’s office)

Pepper, mixed-breed, about 4 years

Holland, Pembroke Welsh corgi, 8 years

Rigby, Pembroke Welsh corgi, 7 years

Pepper belongs to Sen. David Perdue’s counsel Drew Robinson and came to D.C. from Phenix City, Alabama, last July. Robinson took her in after the death of his grandfather, who had adopted her from a local animal shelter.

“Pepper loves people, and brings so much joy to Perdue’s staff, which spends long hours at the office working on the contentious political issues of the day. She also has an interesting life story that involves multiple adoptions and moves in a relatively short period of time. … It always makes people happy to see a dog (or anyone else) thrive after coming from less than ideal circumstances,” Perdue’s office said in email.

Rigby monitoring for fallen crumbs at lunch. (Courtesy of Perdue's office) — Rigby looks for fallen crumbs at lunch. (Courtesy Perdue’s office)

“Holland and Rigby have been with the office since the beginning! They took on the role as office pups coming to Senator Perdue’s campaign office in Georgia in 2014, and still sneak into the official office in D.C. during recess to get snacks from their favorite coworkers,” their owner Lauren Hancock, counsel to the chief of staff in Perdue’s office, said in an email.

She added, “H&R keep Perdue staff smiling and spirits up. They are both very bossy so they like to keep people on their toes when they visit!”

Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore.

Ranger spends time on Sen. Ron Wyden's couch. (Courtesy of Wyden's office) — Ranger spends time on Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden’s couch. (Courtesy Wyden’s office)

Ranger, pug, 1 year

“Ranger has been coming to … [Sen. Ron Wyden’s] office since he was two months old (in July 2016), so our staff has known him basically his whole life,” Sam Offerdahl, Wyden’s press secretary, said in an email. “The Wyden office is open to all dogs, all the time, so Ranger often has company when he’s here. Down the hall, Lincoln the black Lab and Cooper the bulldog can usually be found hanging out with Senator Wyden’s health and investigations staff on the Senate Finance Committee.”

Ranger sometimes sleeps on the job. (Courtesy of Wyden's office) — Ranger sometimes sleeps on the job. (Courtesy of Sen. Ron Wyden’s office)

She added, “Because Ranger has been coming to the office since he was a puppy, he knows everybody on staff and everybody knows him. He brightens our days by making sure to greet us all right away when he walks in the door. He’s definitely a part of Team Wyden. (And, like Sen. Wyden, is a huge Oregon Ducks fan!)”

Ranger has his own Instagram page @apugnamedranger.

[Editor’s note: Ranger won the Cutest Dog Award during Pet Night on Capitol Hill in September. His owner is Lindsey Stanford, legislative aide to Wyden.]

Sen. Edward J. Markey, D-Mass.

Teddy in Sen. Edward Markey's office is a tribute to former Sen. Edward Kennedy. (Courtesy of Kennedy's office) — Teddy is not a fan of President Donald Trump’s tweets, says the office of Massachusetts Sen. Edward J. Markey. (Courtesy Markey’s office)

Teddy, Portuguese water dog, 5 months

“Teddy became the office dog in mid-March … in a nod to the great Senator [Edward M.] Kennedy, a reminder of bipartisanship,” Sen. Edward J. Markey’s office said in an email. His owner is Markey’s chief of staff, Paul Tencher.

“Critical role: Teddy barks when [President Donald] Trump tweets,” the office added.

[Editor’s note: Kennedy’s Portuguese water dog Splash was a fixture at the Capitol. President Barack Obama’s Portuguese water dog Bo came from the same breeder as Splash.]