America 250: Celebrating presidential pets

By Bethany Blankley
The Center Square

As Americans commemorate the 250th anniversary of American independence, presidential pets are being celebrated as well.

“Dogs, cats, horses, cows – as well as far more unusual animals – have called the White House and its grounds home over the last two centuries,” the Library of Congress explains. It’s compiled photos highlighting “the menagerie of animals” that have had the privilege of being a presidential pet.

The White House has been home to more than 275 pets, the George W. Bush Library says, highlighting favorite pets.

America’s first president, George Washington, loved dogs and was an avid fox hunter, which led him to develop the American foxhound breed. His war horse was named Nelson.

John Adams, the second president, was the first president to live in the White House. He built the White House stables and his dogs, Satan and Juno, were the first family pets to run on the White House lawn.

His son, John Quincy Adams, the sixth president, kept a pet alligator in the White House bathtub, a gift from the Marquis de Lafayette.

Thomas Jefferson, the author of the Declaration of Independence and third president, was sent two grizzly bear cubs from explorer Zebulon Pike. They were kept for a short time in a cage at the White House. He also loved mockingbirds and dogs, having many as pets. Grover Cleveland, the 22nd president, also had a pet mockingbird.

James Madison’s wife, Dolley, had a famous pet parrot, Polly. Dolley and Polly survived the War of 1812, both safely evacuating the White House as British troops advanced. Madison, the fourth president, authored the Bill of Rights. William McKinley, the 25th president, also had a pet parrot named Washington Post.

Martin Van Buren, the eighth president, was gifted a pair of tiger cubs from the Sultan of Oman, which were kept in a zoo, not the White House.

President William Henry Harrison, the ninth president and grandfather of President Benjamin Harrison, had a pet cow, goat and dog at the White House. Benjamin Harrison, the 23rd president, had a famous pet goat, Old Whiskers, who pulled his grandchildren in a cart. He also had pet possums, Mr. Reciprocity and Mr. Protection, and a dog.

President Herbert Hoover, the 31st president, also had a pet possum, Billy Possum, which was kept in a pen that had been built for the Coolidge family’s pet raccoon, Rebecca. While President Calvin Coolidge, the 30th president, and his family lived in the White House, Rebecca was often featured in the news and made an appearance during a 1927 Easter Egg Roll. Coolidge also had pet canaries, a goose named Enoch, and his favorite dog, Rob Roy.

Teddy Roosevelt, the 26th president, effectively had a zoo at the White House and the most animals of any president. His family pets included a small bear named Jonathan Edwards, multiple dogs, multiple guinea pigs, a badger, pig, blue macaw, hen, one-legged rooster, hyena, barn owl, rabbit, lizard, pony and horses. Their pet snake was named Emily Spinach.

The Kennedy family also had many animals at the White House, including hamsters, a cat and canary, parakeets, several dogs and ponies. John F. Kennedy, the 35th president, was one of four U.S. presidents who have been assassinated.

The 16th president, Abraham Lincoln, who was also assassinated, is believed to have popularized the name Fido, now a common name for dogs. The Lincoln’s beloved dog remained with neighbors in Illinois after Lincoln was elected president and the family moved to Washington, D.C. The Lincolns had many pets, including Lincoln’s horse, “Old Bob,” which he road long distances to circuit courts. Mrs. Lincoln referred to cats as his “hobby.” Lincoln is considered one of the most popular presidents, according to multiple polls, for holding the country together during the tumultuous years of the Civil War. The leader of the new Republican Party, Lincoln played a major role in ending slavery and authored the Emancipation Proclamation.

President William Howard Taft, the 27th president, had a famous pet, a 1,500-pound Holstien from Wisconsin, Pauline Wayne, whose milk and cream were used at the White House. She was the last cow to graze on the White House and other federal agency lawns.

During World War I, President Woodrow Wilson, the 28th president, had a herd of several dozen sheep and a ram, named Old Ike. They maintained the lawn to save money and their wool was sold, including nearly $53,000 in 1919 to raise funds for the Red Cross.

During the Great Depression, Franklin D. Roosevelt, the 32nd president, was known for having many pets at the White House, including his famous dog, King Tut.

During World War II, President Harry Truman, the 33rd president, had a pet goat, Dewey’s Goat, and famous dog, Feller. World War II hero Dwight Eisenhower, the 34th president, also had a pet parakeet and dog.

Most presidents and their families have had dogs, including the Fords, Nixons, Johnsons, Carters, Reagans, Bushes, Obamas and Bidens.

President Warren Harding’s dog, Laddie Boy, was regularly featured by news reporters. Harding, the 29th president, was the first administration to have a cabinet member be imprisoned for crimes committed while in office during the Teapot Dome Scandal.

President George H.W. Bush’s dog had puppies at the White House, including Spot, the only dog to live at the White House during two administrations. Spot lived at the White House when his son, George W. Bush, was president.

Only three presidents haven’t had pets at the White House: James Polk, Andrew Johnson and Donald Trump, according to White House records.

Most Americans (62%) own a pet; nearly one-third (35%) have more than one. Nearly all U.S. pet owners (97%) say their pets are part of their family, according to a Pew Research Center survey.