White House pets have fascinated Americans since the days of President Lincoln’s turkey. Pets like Benjamin Harrison’s goat and Kennedy’s menagerie have helped people feel connected to the Commander in Chief. Teddy Roosevelt’s love for animals and Reagan’s decadently dressed cocker spaniel, Rex, also reveal insights into the presidents’ characters.
One topic of great human interest that has helped Americans feel close to their presidents is the lives of their White House pets. From President Lincoln’s turkey to President George W. Bush’s variety of dogs, White House pets have held public interest since the nation’s earliest days. Some people take comfort in knowing their leader has pets like them, and may even feel more connected to the life of the Commander in Chief and his family.
One of the first pets of the White House, and the most famous, was a turkey kept by President Lincoln. Originally intended for Thanksgiving dinner, Lincoln’s son begged his father to spare Jack the turkey from his delicious fate. Lincoln relented, Jack was spared, and the tradition of pardoning a turkey every year continues today in the White House.
Relatively obscure President Benjamin Harrison kept a goat named Old Whiskers parked on the front lawn of the White House. For the amusement of his grandchildren, Harrison would have the goat tied to a small carriage for the children to pick up. Most of Washington DC’s high society were quite surprised and amused the day Old Whiskers dove through the fence and was chased down Pennsylvania Avenue by the president in the top hat.
During President Kennedy’s tenure, family pets in the White House could best have been called a menagerie. In addition to an assortment of dogs, cats, and their offspring, the Kennedy family raised several ponies, a canary, two parakeets, several hamsters, and a rabbit named Zsa Zsa. Caroline Kennedy’s pony Macaroni was so popular that she often received fan mail from adoring children across the country.
Teddy Roosevelt was a great animal lover and, despite his passion for hunting, is often hailed by the conservationist lobby for his work in creating the first national parties. As his train passed through Kansas, a girl gave him a baby badger named Josiah. Despite the badger’s tendency to bite anyone nearby upon reaching adulthood, Roosevelt was devoted to the creature.
Perhaps the most decadently dressed of all the White House pets was Ronald Reagan’s cocker spaniel, Rex. The dog lived out his White House days in a specially designed doghouse, complete with large portraits of the president and Nancy Reagan and lush red curtains. However, the dog has made itself useful to the president, often dragging Reagan away from groups of sensational journalists by constantly pulling him on the leash and barking.
White House pets can give insight into the character and quirks of the person who runs the nation. They can help judge the character and individuality of the First Family and can be an indication of one’s values. Because, as the philosopher Mahatma Gandhi said, “The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated”.
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