Meet the Dogs of the Senate, Round III

By Alex Gangitano

Posted April 17, 2018 at 5:01am

There are a lot of dogs available for belly rubs or paw-shaking roaming the halls of Congress.

We gave you another round of dogs of the House on Monday. And back by popular demand, here is another round of dogs of the Senate.

Some are rescue dogs. Another was brought in on a rainy day to see how the office responded. Needless to say, she was a hit.

[Meet the Dogs of the Senate]

[Meet the Dogs of the Senate, Round II]

Sen. Roy Blunt

(Courtesy of Blunt's office) — Max is a shameless attention-seeker. (Courtesy Sen. Roy Blunt’s office)

Max, Yorkipoo, 9 years

“We got him from the Joplin Humane Society in Missouri,” Sen. Roy Blunt said. “He belongs to my son, Charlie. Max has been around the office since I started in the Senate, and he definitely throws his weight around when he’s here … all 8 lbs. of it.”

The senator added, “Max may be small but he has a big personality. As soon as we get into the office, he sprints off to find someone to pet him or give him a belly rub. He’s pretty shameless about seeking out attention. Luckily, he fares well with staff and visitors. No matter how tough or busy the day gets, Max puts everyone in a good mood.”

Sen. Jeff Merkley

(Courtesy of Merkley's office) — Juneau sits in on a meeting with the senator. (Courtesy Sen. Jeff Merkley’s office)

Juneau, husky mix, 8 years

“[Juneau] makes everyone smile a bit bigger, but [it] creates [an] uneasy sense of conflict in an office full of Ducks and Beavers to be in love with a Husky,” said owner Mike Zamore, Sen. Jeff Merkley’s chief of staff. Juneau has been the office dog since 2011.

[Editor’s note — Ducks and Beavers are the mascots of the University of Oregon and Oregon State University, respectively. Huskies are the mascot of the University of Washington.]

Baci means “kiss” in Italian. (Courtesy of Sen. Merkley)

Baci, chocolate Lab mix, 9 years

“Who doesn’t love chocolate?” said owner Ray Zaccaro, Merkley’s communications director. “Baci’s name means ‘kiss’ in Italian, and she is always ready to offer up licks and love to Oregonians and all who enter our office.”

Bacci started coming into the office “ruffly” four years ago, Zaccaro said.

Sen. John Kennedy

(Courtesy of Kennedy's office) — Chili is the voice of reason in Sen. John Kennedy’s office. (Courtesy Sen. John Kennedy’s office)

Chili, Cavapoo, 2 years

“She came to test the waters on a rainy day and it was a huge success! The entire staff enjoys her company, especially taking her out to pawtrol the Senate, and her favorite, the Russell Courtyard,” said owner John Steitz, Sen. John Kennedy’s legislative director.

He added, “Chili is the voice of reason in the office and people look to her for support, and overall she helps alleviate any stress throughout our days.”

Sen. Joni Ernst

(Courtesy of Ernst's office) — Kirby reminds Sen. Joni Ernst of her own dog. (Courtesy Joni Ernst’s office)

Kirby, rescue, 5 months

“I adopted Kirby on Jan. 28 of this year, and brought her into the office the very next day since she was too little to stay home alone,” said Sen. Joni Ernst’s press secretary, Leigh Claffey. “She quickly stole the hearts of Team Ernst, with even Sen. Ernst saying that Kirby reminds of their old German Shepherd, Jake. Now, Kirby is part of the Ernst family and comes in the office whenever the Senate is in recess. The warmth and friendliness she brings to work is a great reflection of our welcoming office environment.”

She added, “She loves new friends, so if you see her running around in the Russell courtyard, please be sure to shake her paw and say hello!”

Watch: Chick-fil-A, Motown and the Testimony of ‘Mr. Zuckerman’: Congressional Hits and Misses

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