Hail to the Chief and Their Pets

Around the middle of the last century, as our nation went from a farm to an urban/suburban population, the idea that our pets (dogs, cats, birds, rabbits, tortoises, etc.) could be considered family members started to take shape. Dogs especially have held a special place in American hearts—as they have with many presidents.

Having just walked my ninth rescue pooch over the Rainbow Bridge and immediately adopted another rescue two days later, it’s nice to know that many White House occupants have shared the same love for animals.

It might have started with the Father of our Country. George Washington had several hounds imported from England. Then, in 1785, the Marquis de Lafayette added some French hounds to Washington’s menagerie. Our beloved first president bred the two hound breeds. Although he didn’t invent the American Foxhound, President Washington is credited with helping create the breed.

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Teddy Roosevelt. Library of Congress.

President Donald Trump, whom I have staunchly supported since he came down the escalator in June 2015, isn’t a dog person. Or cat person. Or bird person. Okay, that’s the only major complaint I have about our 45th and 47th president!

Most presidents have family pets, but some brought whole zoos to the White House.

• Although he was an avid hunter, Theodore Roosevelt was equally passionate about protecting wildlife. Many hunters (then and now) believe they are helping to control overpopulation, but let’s leave that debate for another time. In 1903, Roosevelt created what became the National Wildlife Refuge System. While in the White House, the Roosevelt “zoo” included dogs, a badger, guinea pigs, rabbits, bears, a lizard, a pig, a pony, a zebra, a one-legged rooster, and a hyena, to name a few. Some reports have the total at 48 animals.
• Calvin Coolidge is regarded as an astute economic conservative who believed in limited government. His White House “zoo” featured dogs, cats, birds, a wallaby, a hippo, and lion cubs.
• John Kennedy was always bringing new animals to their White House “zoo,” including hamsters, dogs, a cat, a canary, a parakeet, ponies, and horses.
• Three presidents had alligators in the White House: Presidents Benjamin Harrison, John Quincy Adams, and Herbert Hoover. President Harrison also had a pet goat (for his grandson) and two opossums: Mr. Protection and Mr. Reciprocity. President Adams’ alligator lived in the bathtub in the East Room, which today would be considered animal cruelty.

There have also been occasions when a president’s pet has become part of the political discussion.

• President Franklin Roosevelt had a lifelong affection for dogs. During his years in the White House, several pooches lived there, too. However, it was his Scottish Terrier Fala, given to FDR in 1940, who received all the fan mail. When FDR ran for his fourth term in 1944, Fala played an integral role campaigning with him. Like most politicians, FDR blew off malicious attacks on him or his wife, but strenuously objected when they were directed at Fala. In a 1944 campaign speech on labor issues and the status of World War II, FDR said he would “object to libelous statements about my dog.”
• On September 23, 1952, just weeks before the presidential election, Vice President nominee Richard Nixon gave a televised speech responding to questions related to political expenses and campaign gifts. It was viewed by more than 60 million people. One gift Nixon mentioned was the family dog, Checkers. Using humor, Nixon said that no matter what happened, the family would be keeping Checkers. Thus, the historic speech became known as “The Checkers Speech.” Six weeks later, Dwight Eisenhower was elected president with Nixon as his vice president.

In modern times, some presidential pets have become celebrities, receiving fan mail and/or having their own websites. They include:

• President Roosevelt’s Scottish Terrier, Fala.
• President John Kennedy’s daughter’s pony, Macaroni.
• President Bill Clinton’s cat, Socks.
• President Bill Clinton’s dog, Buddy.

My dogs will never generate national interest, but for me, it will always be love me, love my dogs. Throughout our married life, Larry and I have rescued dogs. Some we kept, and others we found homes for. Beyond volunteering and donating to humane organizations, our philosophy has always been that if a dog crosses our path, we will do our best to rescue the pooch.

As Americans began viewing their pets as family members—humanizing their pets—they started giving them people names. Hartsdale Pet Cemetery in Westchester, New York, is the oldest pet cemetery in the United States. Opening in 1896, it has more than 80,000 pets buried there.

 In 2021, the cemetery did a study of 25,000 dog and cat names from 1905 on and found that, beginning in the late 20th century, “Rover” and “Fido” were no more, as dogs and cats mostly had human names. Moreover, many of the human names were also popular baby names.

The Hartsdale study is proven correct in my own life. Our first four dogs were Dusty, Muffy, Truffy, and Scruffy. The next four were Jakey (for grandpa Jacob), Rosey (for grandma Rose), Allie (for Larry’s father Albert), and Sidney (for my father). Then we went solo with Golda (for Golda Meir) and, after her passing in late April, we now have Bibi (for Netanyahu).

Most dogs and cats just want to be loved, taken care of, and fed—not always in that order. They don’t look in the mirror and think purebred or mixed breed. They wouldn’t know the difference between living in the White House and a tiny house painted white. Sadly, even with a human name, they lack a human lifespan.

American presidents, like the people they represent, have understood the unique human-animal bond, especially for rescued animals. Maybe the song should be Hail to the Chief and Their Pets.

Robin M. Itzler is a regular contributor to American Thinker. She is the founder and editor of Patriot Neighbors, a free weekly national newsletter. Robin can be reached at PatriotNeighbors@yahoo.com.