President-elect Joe Biden will bring his two German shepherds to the White House, restoring the tradition of presidential pets.
It is not publicly known if Trump and his family have pets in their Mar-o-Lago residence, or any other home. In a story published by the Washington Post, philanthropist and acquaintance of the Trumps, Lois Pope, said she offered the family a Goldendoodle but the exchange never eventuated.
The New York Times reported that at a rally in El Paso in February 2019, Trump said he didn’t have time for a dog and it felt “phony” for him to get one.
“You do love your dogs, don’t you?” Mr Trump said. “I wouldn’t mind having one, honestly, but I don’t have any time. How would I look walking a dog on the White House lawn?”
Biden’s first German shepherd has already enjoyed a stint in the White House. The then vice president-elect bought a puppy from a breeder, calling him Champ.
In 2018, Biden and his wife Dr Jill Biden adopted a rescue German shepherd named Major from the Delaware Humane society. A Facebook post by the organisation explained that the Bidens had fostered Major before making the adoption official.
Some media reports have given Major the title of the White House’s first rescue pet, however, that may not be the case.
First rescue dog
Biden’s dog Major is likely the first dog in the White House to have been rescued from a shelter, however, it won’t be the first pet not purchased from a breeder or given as a gift.
President Lyndon Johnson’s “favourite dog” was a mixed terrier named Yuki, who was found by LBJ’s daughter Luci at a gas station on Thanksgiving day in 1966.
The president and Yuki were reportedly inseparable, with LBJ taking him to cabinet meetings and to the Oval Office.
President Calvin Coolidge, who served from 1923 to 1929, had a litany of pets including 12 dogs, three canaries, a goose, a donkey and a bobcat. They had two racoons, one of which could be argued to have been a ‘rescue’ pet.
President LBJ with his dog Yuki. Source: Presidential Pet Museum
Rebecca (the racoon) was actually meant to be eaten, according to the Presidential Pet Museum, and was sent from Mississippi to be part of the White House Thanksgiving meal in 1926, but the Coolidge family found her to be friendly and docile and decided to keep her as a pet instead.
First lady Grace Coolidge with Rebecca the racoon. Source: Library of Congress
Other unusual pets
President William Taft, 1909 - 1913, was one of the last presidents to own cows at the White House, which was commonplace during the 19th Century. President Taft owned two cows called Pauline Wayne and Mooly Wooly.
President Roosevelt owned a badger named Josiah. It’s rumoured that a 12-year-old gifted the badger to the president on a visit to Kansas. Roosevelt also owned a flying squirrel.
President John Quincy Adams, who held the office between 1825 - 1829, owned an alligator given to him by Marquis de Lafayette. It lived in a White House bathroom.
Archie Roosevelt with Josiah the badger. Source: Harvard University
Thomas Jefferson had two bear cubs that were also a gift but only stayed at the White House for two months before being moved to a museum.
