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Which
first pets will roam White House?
February
21, 2008
Monday was President's Day, and as a pet lover I've wondered what it
would be like to be the president's dog or cat. Would a proper title
be top dog? First feline?
We've seen many images over the years of presidents with their best
four-legged friends, including Buddy the chocolate Labrador tripping
President Bill Clinton on the White House lawn. And of course
there's the infamous image of Lyndon Johnson picking up his beagle,
Him, by the ears, which caused a storm of protest.
You don't often see photographs that document the day in the life of
a presidential pet. Do they get to stretch out and roll around in
the Lincoln bedroom? And where does the first family keep the litter
box for the first feline? It's a pretty large residence, and I can't
imagine one box would do the job. Is there one for the West Wing and
the East Wing, not to mention the residential quarters?
In the United States, 25 of our 42 presidents have had dogs as pets,
and many have had an assortment of animals. George Washington had a
donkey named Royal Gift, and Abraham Lincoln had two goats, Nanny
and Nanko, who were carted around the White House by Lincoln's sons.
Presidents Calvin Coolidge, Theodore Roosevelt and John Kennedy had
so many pets residing at the White House that together they could
have opened a zoo.
And, of course, there's Clinton's cat, Socks, who was
unceremoniously removed from office and given to presidential
secretary Betty Currie when Buddy the Labrador entered the White
House. Apparently, cat and dog just couldn't get along. Socks is
reportedly still with the Currie family, while Buddy suffered an
untimely death in 2002 when he was hit by a car, bringing tears to
animal lovers' eyes.
As the Bush family and their four-legged friends, including Barney
the Scottish terrier and India the cat, get ready to leave office,
what new four-legged friends await first pet status? Will it be
Hillary Clinton's Labrador, Seamus, or John McCain's assortment of
friends that could fill up the entire West Wing?
McCain's menagerie includes Coco the mutt; Sam, an English springer
spaniel; Oreo the cat; Cuff and Link, a pair of turtles; three
parakeets, 13 saltwater fish; and finally, a ferret.
And what about Barack Obama? His household currently does not
include a family pet. But according to the candidate, his daughters
made him promise that, as a condition for running for president,
they can get a dog after the election, win or lose. Now that's a
campaign promise any animal lover can endorse.
- Gloria
Dauphin
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