United States presidential pets

Socks the cat at the podium in the White House Press Briefing Room in 1993

Grace Coolidge with Laddie Boy, an Airedale Terrier, and Rob Roy, a white Collie

United States Presidents and their families have often had pets while serving in office.^[1]

History of White House dogs[edit]

The first White House dog to receive regular newspaper coverage was Warren G. Harding's dog Laddie Boy.^[2]

Pets also featured on presidential elections. Herbert Hoover got a Belgian shepherd dog, King Tut, during his campaign and pictures of him with his new dog were sent all across the United States.

In 1944 Franklin D. Roosevelt was running for his fourth term when rumors surfaced that his Scottish Terrier, Fala, had accidentally been left behind when visiting the Aleutian Islands. After allegedly sending back ships to rescue his dog, Roosevelt was ridiculed and accused of spending thousands of taxpayers' dollars to retrieve his dog. At a speech following this Roosevelt said, "you can criticize me, my wife and my family, but you can't criticize my little dog. He's Scotch and all these allegations about spending all this money have just made his little soul furious."^[3] What was later called the "Fala Speech" reportedly helped secure re-election for Roosevelt.^[4]

Miss Beazley, a Scottish Terrier given to Laura Bush by her husband

Richard Nixon was accused of hiding a secret slush fund during his candidacy for vice president under Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1952. He gave the televised "Checkers speech" named after his cocker spaniel, denying he had a slush fund but admitting, "there is one thing that I did get as a gift that I'm not going to give back."^[5] The gift was a black-and-white cocker spaniel, Checkers, given to his daughters. Although there had been talk of Nixon being dropped from the ticket, following his speech he received an increase in support and Mamie Eisenhower reportedly recommended he stay because he was "such a warm person."^[6][7]

Animal lovers were upset when President Lyndon B. Johnson was photographed picking his two Beagle dogs named Him and Her up by their ears. Others did not understand the uproar; former President Harry S. Truman said, "What the hell are the critics complaining about; that's how you handle hounds."^[5]

List of Presidential pets[edit]

President	Pet(s)
George Washington	Sweetlips,[8] Scentwell, and Vulcan[9] (among others)[ps 1] – American Foxhounds[nb 1][10][11] Drunkard,[8] Taster, Tipler, and Tipsy – Black and Tan Coonhounds[12] Royal Gift – Andalusian donkey,[13] a gift from King Charles III of Spain[14] Nelson (1763–1790) and Blueskin[15] – Horses[ps 2][16] Snipe[nb 2] – Parrot[ps 3] – Said to have been owned by First Lady Martha Washington.[18] Cornwallis,[19] named for General Cornwallis[19] – Greyhound Samson, Steady, Leonidas, Traveller, Magnolia[20] – Stallions
John Adams	Juno, Mark, and Satan[8] – Dogs[ps 2][12] Cleopatra and Caesar[20] – Horse[ps 2]
Thomas Jefferson	Dick – Mockingbird;[ps 3] Dick was the favorite from among at least four mockingbirds the president had while in office[21] Bergère and Grizzle – shepherd dogs from France, possibly Briards[12][22] Two grizzly bear cubs,[ps 4] male & female pair, gifted from Captain Zebulon Pike[23] Caractacus – Horse, named after Caratacus, a 1st-century British chieftain; offspring of Jefferson's mare Allycroker and a Godolphin Arabian named Young Fearnought[24]
James Madison	Polly – Parrot, outlived both James And Dolley Madison[17]
James Monroe	Spaniel[12][ps 4][ps 2] – Belonged to youngest daughter, Maria Monroe[25] Sebastian – Siberian Husky
John Quincy Adams	Silkworms[ps 4][ps 1][26] – First Lady Louisa Adams spun their silk.[27] An Alligator – gift from the Marquis de Lafayette.[20]
Andrew Jackson	Polly (or "Poll") – grey parrot, learned to swear (later attended Jackson's funeral but had to be removed due to loud and persistent profanity)[17] Fighting cocks[ps 4][ps 1] Bolivia, Emily, Lady Nashville, Sam Patch, and Truxton – Horses[ps 2] Sam Patch was named after the famous daredevil known as "The Yankee Leaper"
Martin Van Buren	Briefly owned two tiger cubs given to him by the Sultan of Oman before Congress forced him to donate the tigers to the zoo[27][28]
William Henry Harrison	Sukey – Durham cow[29] Goat*
John Tyler	Le Beau – Italian Greyhound[12] Johnny Ty – Canary The General – Horse[ps 2]
James K. Polk	No known pets[28]
Zachary Taylor	Old Whitey – Horse[ps 2]
Millard Fillmore	Mason and Dixon – Ponies[ps 2]
Franklin Pierce	At least two[nb 3] miniature "teacup" Japanese Chin dogs[ps 4], part of a gift exchange with Japan following the Perry Expedition[30] Two birds from Japan,[ps 4][ps 3] which had just opened its trading posts to the United States.
James Buchanan	Lara – Newfoundland Punch – Toy Terrier Eagle[ps 4][ps 3]
Abraham Lincoln	Old Bob caparisoned in a mourning blanket at Abraham Lincoln's funeral Nanny and Nanko – goats[16] Jack – Turkey, [16] intended as Christmas dinner, but Tad Lincoln intervened[31] Fido – Dog,[8][12] "assassinated"[32] by a drunk with a knife, a few months after Lincoln's assassination;[33] "Fido" became a generic name for a dog because of Lincoln's famous dog[34][35] Jip – Dog[12] Tabby and Dixie – Cats. Lincoln once remarked that Dixie "is smarter than my whole cabinet."[36] Horse[ps 4][ps 2] Rabbit[ps 4][ps 2] Old Bob – Horse
Andrew Johnson	Fed white mice he found in his bedroom[ps 4][ps 1][28]
Ulysses S. Grant	Butcher Boy, Cincinnati, Egypt, Jeff Davis (his wartime mount), Jennie, Julia, Mary, and St. Louis – Horses.[ps 2] Cincinnati was a thoroughbred of renowned pedigree: son of Lexington, grandson of Boston.[37] Billy Button and Reb – Ponies[ps 2] Faithful – Newfoundland[12] Rosie – Dog[ps 2]
Rutherford B. Hayes	Dot – Cocker Spaniel[12] Hector – Newfoundland[12] Duke – English Mastiff[12] Grim – Greyhound[8][12] Otis – Miniature Schnauzer[12] Juno and Shep – Hunting dogs Jet – Dog[ps 2] Piccolomini – Cat[ps 2], (presumably named after the Italian general) Siam – First Siamese cat in the United States Miss Pussy – Siamese cat-Siam and Miss Pussy were gifts from the King of Siam.
James A. Garfield	Kit – Horse[ps 2] Veto[8] – Dog[ps 2]
Chester A. Arthur	Rabbit[ps 4][ps 2] Three horses[ps 4][ps 2]
Grover Cleveland	Hector – Japanese Poodle[12] Mockingbirds[ps 4][ps 3][ps 1] Three[38] Dachshunds[12]
Benjamin Harrison	Whiskers pulling a cart at the White House, with Russell Harrison and his children Dash in front of his doghouse Whiskers ("His Whiskers," or "Old Whiskers") – Goat,[16][39] kept at the White House for the president's grandchildren; may have belonged to Russell Harrison[40] Dash – Collie[12] Mr. Reciprocity and Mr. Protection – Opossums,[41] named from the 1896 Republican party platform,[42] which includes: "Protection and reciprocity are twin measures of Republican policy and go hand in hand."[43]
William McKinley	Washington Post – Yellow-headed Mexican parrot; could whistle "Yankee Doodle"[17] Valeriano Weyler and Enrique DeLome – Angora kittens; named after Spanish general Valeriano Weyler and Spanish ambassador Enrique Dupuy de Lôme Roosters[ps 4][ps 1]
Theodore Roosevelt	Archie riding Algonquin Roosevelt family with Skip Illustration of Slippers, the White House cat[nb 4] Admiral Dewey, Bishop Doane, Dr. Johnson, Father O'Grady, Fighting Bob Evans – guinea pigs[ps 2][45]; namesakes: George Dewey, William Croswell Doane, (likely John O'Grady (priest)) and Robley D. Evans Algonquin – "Calico pony" (Shetland),[45] favored by Roosevelt's son Archie[46] Baron Spreckle – Hen,[ps 2][45] likely named after sugar baron Claus Spreckels Bill – lizard[ps 3][45] Blackjack – Manchester Terrier Eli Yale – Hyacinth macaw[45] Named after the British merchant (also College namesake) Emily Spinach – Garter snake,[ps 3][45] so named by Roosevelt's daughter Alice because "it was as green as spinach and as thin as my Aunt Emily"[47] Fedelity – Pony[ps 2] Gem and Susan – Dogs[ps 2] Jack[45] and Peter – Terriers[ps 2][12] Jonathan Edwards – small black bear from West Virginia[45] named after the religious leader, an ancestor of Mrs. Roosevelt;[48] eventually sent to the Bronx Zoo[49] Jonathan – Piebald rat[ps 3] Josiah – Badger[ps 3][45][50] Manchu – Pekingese[12][45] Maude – Pig[45] Peter – Rabbit[ps 3][45] Pete – Bull Terrier,[12][45][8] exiled to Long Island "after chomping on one too many legs"[51] Rollo – Saint Bernard Skip – Mongrel[12][45] Sailor Boy – Chesapeake Bay Retriever[12][45] Tom Quartz and Slippers – Cats[ps 2], Tom Quartz was named after a cat in a Mark Twain story.[52] Bill – Laughing hyena, gift from Emperor Menelik II of Ethiopia[53] barn owl One-legged rooster[45]
William Howard Taft	Caruso – Dog,[ps 2] a gift for Taft's daughter Helen from opera singer Enrico Caruso; after a White House performance, he decided that cows were not appropriate pets for a little girl[54] Mooly Wooly and Pauline Wayne – Cows[ps 2]
Woodrow Wilson	Davie – Airedale Terrier[12] Old Ike – Ram[55] Puffins – Cat[ps 2][55] Bruce – Bull Terrier[55] Songbirds[ps 4][ps 3][ps 1] Sheep,[ps 4][ps 1] to keep the White House lawn trimmed "in the most economical way"[55]
Warren G. Harding	Laddie Boy Laddie Boy (1920–1929) – Airedale Terrier[8][12] Old Boy – Bulldog[12] Petey – canary[56]
Calvin Coolidge	Portrait of Rob Roy and Grace Coolidge Rob Roy (1922–1928) and Prudence Prim – White collies[12] Peter Pan – Wirehair Fox Terrier,[57][12] the Coolidge's first White House dog; Paul Pry – Airedale Terrier,[12] half-brother of Warren Harding's Laddy Boy[57] Calamity Jane – Shetland Sheepdog[12] Tiny Tim and Blackberry – Chow Chows[12] Ruby Rouch – Collie[12] Boston Beans – Boston bulldog[12] King Cole – Belgian Sheepdog (Groenendael)[58] Palo Alto ("Palo") – A black and white English Setter, a bird dog that Coolidge soon gave to Colonel Starling,[57] chief of the Secret Service detail in the White House[59] Bessie – Collie Rebecca – Raccoon,[ps 3][60][58] Rebecca was intended for a Thanksgiving feast; First Lady Grace had a tree-house built for her instead[57] Ebeneezer – Donkey Nip and Tuck – Canaries, both olive green in color; the Coolidge's first birds[57] Peter Piper and Snowflake – Two more canaries; Snowflake was white[57] Goldy – A "yellow bird"[ps 3][58][57] Do-Funny – a trained songbird (troupial)[ps 3] from South America;[57] said to be Mrs. Coolidge's favorite bird[58] Enoch – Goose[ps 3] Smoky – Bobcat Blacky, Bounder, Climber (or "Mud"), and Tiger (or "Tige") – Cats,[57][ps 2] Climber was a Maltese Angora cat; Climber and Bounder were cousins from Coolidge's home state of Vermont[58] Tax Reduction and Budget Bureau – Lion cubs from Johannesburg, South Africa[58] Billy – Pygmy hippopotamus A wallaby A duiker (a very small type of antelope) Bruno – A black bear from Chihuahua, Mexico; Mrs. Coolidge promptly sent him to a zoo[58] Pekin Ducks – Thirteen were received as an Easter gift; Mrs. Coolidge attempted to raise them in a White House bathroom, but eventually sent them to a zoo[58]
Herbert Hoover	Herbert Hoover with King Tut King Tut – Belgian Shepherd[61][62] Pat – German Shepherd[61] Big Ben and Sonnie – Fox Terriers[12][63] Glen – Scotch Collie[12] Yukonan – Eskimo dog[12] Patrick – Irish Wolfhound[61] Eaglehurst Gillette – Setter[61] Weejie – Norwegian Elkhound[61] Two alligators[64]
Franklin D. Roosevelt	FDR and Fala (1940) Fala (1940–1952) – Scottish Terrier[16] Major – German Shepherd[61] Meggie – Scottish Terrier[61] Winks – Llewellyn Setter[61] Tiny – Old English Sheepdog[61] President – Great Dane[8][61] Blaze – Bullmastiff[61]
Harry S. Truman	Feller – Cocker Spaniel,[61][65] because the Trumans "preferred to be a pet-free family" he was given as a puppy to Truman's personal physician[66] Mike – Irish Setter[61]
Dwight D. Eisenhower	Gabby – parakeet[67] Heidi – weimaraner[68]
John F. Kennedy	Kennedy family and dogs Gaullie – Poodle[69] Charlie – Welsh Terrier[61] Tom Kitten – Cat[ps 2][70] Robin – Canary[70] Bluebell and Marybelle – Parakeets[70] Macaroni – Pony[71] Moe;– Doberman Pinscher[70] Tex and Leprechaun – Ponies[70] Billie and Debbie – Hamsters[70] Pushinka – dog (gift of Soviet Union Premier Nikita Khrushchev, puppy of Soviet space dog Strelka)[8] Shannon – Irish Cocker Spaniel[61] Wolf – Dog, mix of Irish Wolfhound and Schnauzer[72] Clipper – German Shepherd Dog[73] Butterfly, White Tips, Blackie, and Streaker – (offspring of Pushinka and Charlie)[61] Zsa Zsa – Rabbit Sardar – Horse[ps 2][74]
Lyndon B. Johnson	LBJ with Him Him and Her – Beagles[61][75][76] Edgar – Beagle[8][61][75][76] Blanco – white Collie[61][75][76] Freckles – Beagle[61] Yuki – Mongrel dog[61][75][76] Hamsters[ps 2] lovebirds[ps 3][77]
Richard Nixon	King Timahoe, Vicki and Pasha looking out the window in the White House Vicki – Poodle[61][78] Pasha – Terrier[61][78] King Timahoe – Irish Setter[61][78][79] Checkers[8] (1952–1964) – Cocker Spaniel[nb 5]
Gerald Ford	Susan Ford, daughter of Gerald Ford, and the family's siamese cat, Shan, in 1974 Ford and Liberty in the Oval Office Liberty (February 8, 1974–1984) – Golden Retriever[61] Lucky – Dog*[8] Misty – (Liberty's puppy born in the White House) Shan – Siamese cat[80]
Jimmy Carter	Grits – Border Collie (mix);[61][81] Given to his daughter Amy by her teacher, but quickly returned[82] after snapping at several White House visitors[8] Lewis Brown – Afghan Hound[83] Misty Malarky Ying Yang, daughter Amy Carter's pet – Siamese cat[60]
Ronald Reagan	Rex Ronald Reagan on El Alamein Lucky – Bouvier des Flandres[84][85][86] Rex (December 16, 1984–August 31, 1998) – Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.[86][87] Victory – Golden Retriever[85][86] Peggy – Irish Setter[85][86] m Taca – Siberian Husky[85][86] Fuzzy – Belgian sheepdog[85][86] Horses (El Alamein, Nancy D, Baby, Little Man, and others) at Rancho del Cielo[88][89] Cleo and Sara - Tortoiseshell cats at Rancho del Cielo[90]
George H. W. Bush	Millie Millie (January 12, 1985–May 19, 1997) – Springer Spaniel.[8] Ranger – one of Millie's puppies[61][91]
Bill Clinton	Socks Socks (1989–February 20, 2009) – The Clintons' cat.[39] Buddy (August 7, 1997–January 2, 2002) – Bill's chocolate Labrador retriever[39]
George W. Bush	India Spot "Spotty" Fetcher (March 17, 1989–February 21, 2004) – female English Springer Spaniel named after Scott Fletcher; Puppy of Millie;[8] Euthanized after suffering a series of strokes. Barney (September 30, 2000–February 1, 2013) – Scottish Terrier.[8][92] Miss Beazley (October 28, 2004–May 17, 2014) – Scottish Terrier; Nicknamed "Beazley Weazley"; 2005 birthday gift from George to his wife.[8][92] India "Willie" – cat (July 13, 1990–January 4, 2009) Ofelia – Longhorn cow (lives at Bush's Prairie Chapel Ranch)
Barack Obama	Bo and Sunny Bo[8] (born October 9, 2008) – Portuguese Water Dog. Sunny[93][94] (born June 11, 2012) – Portuguese Water Dog.
Donald Trump	No known pets[28]

See also[edit]

• Canadian Parliamentary Cats
• Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office, United Kingdom
• Hermitage cats in Saint Petersburg, Russia
• Pets of Vladimir Putin
• Tibs the Great
• Cats of the President of Taiwan
• Category: Pets of the British Royal Family

Further reading[edit]

• Truman, Margaret (1969). White House Pets OCLC 70279; eBook (2016) ISBN 9781612309392

Notes[edit]

References[edit]

External links[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Pets of presidents of the United States.

• Presidential Pets Museum – Private museum in Glen Allen, Virginia
• Pets in the White House – White House for Kids (official Clinton archive)
• Morrow, Laurie Bogart, The Giant Book of Dog Names, p. 414
• Thomas, Nick (February 19, 2018). "A salute to presidential pets". The Oklahoman. Retrieved 17 February 2018.