Political Pets
By LaDonna Seely

As Harry S. Truman once said, “If you want a friend in Washington, get a dog.”

Pets and Presidents seem to go hand-in-hand throughout our country’s history. Cats and dogs, horses and parrots, cows, goats, raccoons, badgers, sheep and even an alligator owned by John Quincy Adams, have resided at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

The current four-legged master of the White House is Barney, the Bushes’ Scottish terrier. Barney Cam provides glimpses into the lives of India “Willie” the cat, and Miss Beazley, another Scottish terrier and the newest recruit.

Previous White House pets
Who can forget Chelsea Clinton’s cat, Socks, or Bill Clinton’s chocolate Labrador, Buddy? In fact, they even co-authored a book called, “Dear Socks, Dear Buddy,” containing letters written to them from children all over the world.

But it was Millie, the elder President Bush’s springer spaniel who penned the very first presidential paperback, “Millie’s Book: As Dictated to Barbara Bush,” in which Millie gives a dog's-eye view of life in the White House.

John F. Kennedy’s daughter, Caroline, had a pony and called it Macaroni. A present from Lyndon Johnson, Macaroni freely roamed the White House grounds. Fala, Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s Scottish terrier, is the only Presidential pet to be memorialized. A statue of Fala stands next to one of his master at the FDR Memorial in Washington, D.C.

New White House pet on January 20
So, what will the new four-legged ruler of the White House be when a new President moves in on January 20?

While neither Barack Obama nor Joe Biden currently have any pets, the Obamas have promised their two daughters that they will get a puppy after Election Day. Some reports say the promised puppy comes only if he wins the White House, while others say the puppy will appear once the campaign is completed. (Just for the record, let’s hope the Obamas adopt a homeless pooch, rather than buy an expensive designer dog or worse yet, get one from a puppy mill pet store.)

In fact, upon hearing word of the impending addition to the family, the American Kennel Club launched an online poll to find the perfect companion for the Obamas (www.presidentialpup.com). According to an AKC news release, more than 42,000 people cast their vote and the winning breed was a poodle, with a soft-coated wheaten terrier nipping at its heals.

"Most of our Presidents kept purebreds in the White House," says AKC Spokesperson Lisa Peterson. "When times get tough — during a bad economy or when presidential pressures are at their peak —these dogs serve as personal companions and give much relaxation and laughter to our leaders during difficult times."

McCain devout animal lover
On the other side of the aisle, John McCain leads the animal-loving pack with several pets, including Sam, an English springer spaniel; Coco, a mutt; two turtles, Cuff and Link; Oreo, a black and white cat; a ferret; a parakeet; and 13 saltwater fish.
In July, an Associated Press survey found that, "pet owners favor McCain over Obama 42 percent to 37 percent, with dog owners particularly in McCain's corner."

Obama endorsed by HSLF
However, the Humane Society Legislative Fund (HSLF) endorsed Obama’s candidacy for his solid support of animal protection laws at the state and federal levels. McCain, according to the HSLF, has also supported some animal protection bills in Congress, but has been inattentive or opposed to others. Biden, they say, has been a stalwart friend of animal welfare advocates in the U.S. Senate and cited a bill he co-authored making the netting of dolphins by commercial tuna fishermen illegal. Sarah Palin's “retrograde policies on animal welfare and conservation” caused the HSLF to claim, “Her record is so extreme that she has perhaps done more harm to animals than any other current governor in the United States.” To read the full endorsement, including candidate voting histories and HSLF questionnaires, click here.

Regardless of whether or not the next President has a pet in the White House, the new Administration and Congress will have their paws full of federal bills regarding animal rights and welfare issues such as research animal acquisition; horse slaughter prevention; pet food safety; animal cruelty laws (including dog fighting); downer cattle; whale, seal and polar bear protection; and other hunting regulations.

To learn more about presidents and their pets, children and adults alike will enjoy visiting the Presidential Pet Museum online, originally founded in 1999 to preserve information, artifacts and items related to the Presidential pets.

La Donna Seely is a volunteer for A Rotta Love Plus, www.arottalove.org, an award-winning rottweiler and pit bull rescue, adoption and education organization.