Nancy's Notes

When we toured the White House with high school seniors from Lakeside several years ago, it was always fun to see portraits of the various dogs, cats and other animals that have called the White House “home” over the years. This subject has been on my list of stories to write about, and then recently I received a magazine, PawPrint, that had the same idea. That made my research a lot quicker. So the following list names some of the cats, dogs and even a hippopotamus that have resided at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., in Washington, D.C. I love their quirkiness and their names!

Thomas Jefferson loved dogs and horses as well as a favorite mockingbird named Dick.

ANDREW JACKSON built new stables at the White House for his many horses. He also had a parrot named Poll who he taught to swear.

ABRAHAM LINCOLN owned many animals including a pig, a rabbit, a dog named Fido, and ponies, and he was especially fond of cats.

WILLIAM MCKINLEY was reported to have two Angora kittens named Valeriano Weyler and Enrique DeLome, as well as a Mexican double-yellow-headed parrot named Washington Post.

THEODORE ROOSEVELT kept snakes, guinea pigs, a one-letted rooster, a barn owl, parrots, a raccoon, a zebra, and even five bears!

WILLIAM H. TAFT prized his two pet cows, Mooly Wooly and Pauline Wayne, who was the last bovine resident.

WOODROW WILSON had several dogs, a cat, and songbirds. He also kept sheep, which often grazed on the White House lawn.

WARREN G. HARDING was known to have an Airedale terrier named Laddie Boy, an English bulldog, several canaries, and Pete—a squirrel.

CALVIN COOLIDGE kept a goose, donkey, bobcat, thrush, wallaby, pygmy hippopotamus, and raccoons—plus dogs.

FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT had a Scottish terrier named Fala that often traveled with him.

John F. Kennedy brought several dogs to the White House. But daughter Caroline’s pony Macaroni became quite a celebrity.

LYNDON JOHNSON had a pair of beagles named Him and Her.

GERALD R. FORD’s golden retriever Liberty gave birth to a litter of puppies at the White House.

JIMMY CARTER had an Afghan hound, a border collie, and a Siamese cat named Misty Malarky Ying Yang.

RONALD REAGAN came to the White House with a full pack of canines, but his horses stayed at his California ranch.

GEORGE H. W. BUSH, another avid dog lover, brought his beloved springer spaniel named Millie to the White House. Millie had a litter of puppies, and Bush kept one, naming him Ranger.

BILL CLINTON had a black-and-white cat named Socks and Buddy, a Labrador retriever.

GEORGE W. BUSH brought Spot, another one of Millie’s puppies, to the White House with Scottish terriers Miss Beazley and Barney.

BARACK OBAMA and his family adopted Portuguese water dog Bo shortly before moving into the White House, and later added another, Sunny. Bo died of cancer about a month ago.

JOE BIDEN brought German shepherds Champ and Major to the White House. Major is the first rescue dog to live in the White House.