Photos: The dogs and cats of Congress

WTOP News [Washington DC] ^ | September 22, 2017 1:10 pm | WTOP Staff

[COBOL2Java]

The Humane Rescue Alliance visited Capitol Hill offices to snap pictures of senators and representatives with their pets. See photos.

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Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) sits with her dog, Kirby. She has had 7-year-old Kirby for almost six years. The pup travels with the senator throughout her home state of California.

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Rep. Ed Royce (R-Calif.) and his chief of staff, Amy Porter, with her pup, Archie in his House office.

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Rep. Ken Calvert (R-Calif.) with his 9-year-old Dachshund Cali. She’s named after her home state and is friends with the other dogs on that come into the nearby offices, including Archie the Westie!

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Del. Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan, I-Northern Mariana Islands, and his dog Sookie. Six-year-old Sookie came to the Sablan family in January 2017 when their friends were moving and entrusted the family to look after her. Sablan says, “She owns our home.”

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Rep. Ann Kuster, D-N.H., and her beloved cat, Pete. Sadly, he passed away shortly after this photo was taken.

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Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Tenn., with his staffer’s dog, Stevie. She’s a 2-year-old Goldendoodle who has been dubbed the office’s “Ambassador of Joy.”

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Rep. Peter Roskam, R-Ill., and his dog, Max. Max is 11 years old and has been with the Roskam family since he was just 4 months old. He stays with the family in Illinois.

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Rep. Tim Ryan, D-Ohio, and family posing with the family dogs, Buckeye and Bear.

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Rep. Suzan DelBene, D-Wash., and her dog, Reily. Reily has been with the DelBenes for one year after they found him wandering around their neighborhood, then learned his owner no longer wanted him. He is 5 years old.

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Rep. Ted Lieu, D-Calif., and his pup, Abbot.

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Rep. Glenn Grothman, R-Wisc., with Todd, who belongs to his communication director, Bernadette Green. Todd is believed to be a Siberian husky/Pekingese/miniature dachshund mix. He was adopted from a shelter in Atlanta and was named after NFL player Todd Gurley. Todd spells his last name “Grrrrly.”

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Rep. Tom MacArthur, R-N.J., and his dog, Teddy. Teddy is 4 years old and the congressman’s family has had him since he was 2 months old. He often travels between North Carolina and D.C. with the congressman.

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Sen. Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, with her beloved cat Hemic. Hemic was adopted from a local animal shelter and is 20 years old (or older!) He stays in Hawaii with the senator’s mother and husband (pictured here).

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WASHINGTON — It’s a famous saying often attributed to President Harry Truman: If you want a friend in Washington, get a dog.

Or a cat works, too.

Lawmakers from both houses of Congress and both sides of the aisle have clearly taken that advice to heart.

The Humane Rescue Alliance, visited Capitol Hill offices to snap pictures of senators and representatives with their beloved four-legged friends and the pets of some of their staff members.

To find out more about adopting your own new best friend, visit the Humane Rescue Alliance website.

[SJackson]

I've never owned a dog I could pick up easily and hold in my lap. Nothing wrong with small dogs. Must be a politician thing, little guys make better photo ops.

[COBOL2Java]

I remember LBJ doing that to his dogs when I was a kid. I always thought it was awful.

[Innovative]

Cute.

Some of those pets are smarter than their owners. Too bad they can’t vote.

[hulagirl]

Well, at least something they can agree on: the cuteness of pets

[SJackson]

At the time they claimed it didn’t hurt them. I can’t imagine it. None of my dogs would tolerate that. But then they like their kennels, and would love to ride in one on the top of a car, so who knows.

[antidemoncrat]

After that happened Victor Borge said after one concert “Pres. Johnson came back stage and picked me up by my ears and told me I was a Great Dane.”

[morphing libertarian]

lol

[GoldenPup]

You were right...LBJ was AWFUL.