United States presidential pets facts for kids

Many US presidents have had pets while living in the White House. These pets were often part of their families. Only James K. Polk, Andrew Johnson, and Donald Trump did not have any official presidential pets. However, Johnson did take care of some mice he found in his bedroom, even feeding them!

History of White House Pets

Pets have been a fun and sometimes surprising part of presidential life. The first White House dog to be regularly featured in newspapers was Warren G. Harding's dog, Laddie Boy.

Socks at the White House Press Briefing Room in 1993

Grace Coolidge with Laddie Boy, an Airedale Terrier, and Rob Roy, a white Collie

A 1964 photo of Lyndon B. Johnson with his dog caused some discussion.

Pets even played a role in presidential elections! When Herbert Hoover was running for president, he got a "Belgian Police Dog" (Belgian Malinois) named King Tut. Pictures of him with his new dog were sent all over the United States.

Theodore Roosevelt was famous for having many pets at the White House. He had six children, and their pets included snakes, dogs, cats, a badger, birds, and guinea pigs.

In 1944, Franklin D. Roosevelt was running for his fourth term as president. Rumors spread that his Scottish Terrier, Fala, had been left behind during a trip to the Aleutian Islands. People said Roosevelt had sent ships back to rescue his dog. Critics accused him of spending thousands of taxpayer dollars just to get his dog back. Roosevelt responded in a speech, saying, "You can criticize me, my wife and my family, but you can't criticize my little dog. He's Scottish and all these claims about spending money have just made his little soul furious." This speech, later called the "Fala speech," helped Roosevelt win re-election.

Miss Beazley, a Scottish Terrier given to Laura Bush by her husband

Richard Nixon faced accusations about secret money during his campaign for vice president in 1952. He gave a famous televised speech, known as the "Checkers speech," named after his cocker spaniel. He denied having secret money but admitted, "there is one thing that I did get as a gift that I'm not going to give back." This gift was a black-and-white cocker spaniel named Checkers, given to his daughters. After his speech, Nixon gained more support.

Some people were upset when President Lyndon B. Johnson was photographed lifting his beagles, Him and Her, by their ears. Others didn't understand why it was a big deal. Former president Harry S. Truman said, "What the hell are the critics complaining about; that's how you handle hounds."

Bill Clinton moved into the White House with Socks, a tuxedo cat. Socks had reportedly jumped into Chelsea Clinton's arms after piano lessons in 1991. Later, in 1997, Socks was joined by Buddy, a Labrador Retriever, during Clinton's second term. The two pets reportedly did not get along. Clinton once joked, "I did better with the Palestinians and the Israelis than I've done with Socks and Buddy." Hillary Clinton said Socks "despised" Buddy at first sight. Despite their differences, Socks and Buddy were featured in a book, Dear Socks, Dear Buddy: Kids' Letters to the First Pets, written by then First Lady Hillary Clinton. They also appeared as cartoons on the first White House website for kids.

While George W. Bush was president, he had three dogs and a cat at the White House. One of the dogs was Spot Fetcher, an English Springer Spaniel. Spot was the daughter of George H. W. Bush's dog, Millie. This made Spotty the first animal to live in the White House under two different presidents, as she was born there in 1989 and passed away there in 2004.

Barack and Michelle Obama didn't have pets before the 2008 election. But they promised their daughters they could get a dog when they moved into the White House. They chose Bo, a Portuguese Water Dog. This breed was chosen partly because Malia Obama had allergies and needed a pet that wouldn't cause problems. Bo was a gift from Senator Ted Kennedy. Later, a female Portuguese Water Dog named Sunny joined the family. Bo was even featured in a 2010 children's book called Of Thee I Sing: A Letter to My Daughters, written by President Obama.

Joe and Jill Biden moved into the White House with two German Shepherds, Champ and Major. Major was the first shelter dog to live in the White House. Champ had been with the Biden family since Joe Biden was vice-president. The Bidens announced that 13-year-old Champ passed away on June 19, 2021. In December 2021, the Bidens welcomed a new German Shepherd puppy named Commander, a gift from Joe Biden's brother. Major was later moved to a quieter home after some biting incidents. The Bidens had also promised to get a cat, and they did in January 2022, adding a two-year-old gray tabby named Willow to their family.

List of Presidential Pets

This list includes many animals that have lived with US presidents and their families. Sometimes, presidents received unusual animals as gifts from other countries. These animals were often sent to a zoo.

President	Pet(s)
George Washington	Sweetlips, Scentwell and Vulcan – American Foxhounds Drunkard, Taster, Tipler, and Tipsy – Black and Tan Coonhounds Royal Gift – Andalusian donkey, a gift from King Charles III of Spain Nelson and Blueskin – Horses; Washington's horses during the war Snipe – Parrot (said to be owned by First Lady Martha Washington) Cornwallis – Greyhound Samson, Steady, Leonidas, Traveller, Magnolia – Stallions
John Adams	Juno, Mark, and Satan – Dogs Cleopatra and Caesar – Horses
Thomas Jefferson	Dick – mockingbird (his favorite of at least four) Bergère and Grizzle – shepherd dogs from France Two grizzly bear cubs, a gift from Captain Zebulon Pike (Jefferson sent them to a museum) Caractacus – horse
James Madison	Polly – Parrot
James Monroe	Spaniel – Belonged to his youngest daughter, Maria Hester Monroe
John Quincy Adams	Silkworms – First Lady Louisa Adams used their silk. An alligator (said to have belonged to Marquis de Lafayette, but this story might not be true)
Andrew Jackson	Polly (or "Poll") – grey parrot (known for swearing, even at Jackson's funeral!) Fighting cocks Bolivia, Emily, Lady Nashville, Sam Patch, and Truxton – Horses
Martin Van Buren	Briefly owned two tiger cubs given to him by Said bin Sultan, Sultan of Muscat and Oman (Congress made him donate them to a zoo)
William Henry Harrison	Sukey – Durham cow Goat
John Tyler	Le Beau – Italian Greyhound Johnny Ty – canary the General – Horse
James K. Polk	None
Zachary Taylor	Old Whitey – horse (Taylor's horse during the war) Apollo – Pony (a gift for Taylor's daughter Betty)
Millard Fillmore	Mason and Dixon – ponies
Franklin Pierce	At least two miniature "teacup" Japanese Chin dogs (a gift from Japan) Two birds from Japan
James Buchanan	Lara – Newfoundland Punch – Toy Terrier Eagle
Abraham Lincoln	Old Bob at Abraham Lincoln's funeral Nanny and Nanko – goats Jack – Turkey (saved from Christmas dinner by Tad Lincoln) Fido – dog (Fido became a common name for dogs because of Lincoln's pet) Jip – Dog Tabby and Dixie – cats (Lincoln once said Dixie "is smarter than my whole cabinet.") Horse Rabbit Old Bob – Horse
Andrew Johnson	None (but he did feed white mice in his bedroom)
Ulysses S. Grant	Butcher's Boy, Cincinnati, Egypt, Jeff Davis, Jennie, Julia, Mary, and St. Louis – Horses Billy Button and Reb – Ponies Faithful – Newfoundland Rosie – Dog
Rutherford B. Hayes	Dot – Cocker Spaniel Hector – Newfoundland Duke – English Mastiff Grim – Greyhound Otis – Miniature Schnauzer Juno and Shep – Hunting dogs Jet – dog Piccolomini – cat Siam – First Siamese cat in the United States Miss Pussy – Siamese cat
James A. Garfield	Kit – horse Veto – Dog
Chester A. Arthur	Rabbit Three horses
Grover Cleveland	Hector – German poodle Mockingbirds Three Dachshunds Gallagher – Cocker Spaniel
Benjamin Harrison	Whiskers – goat (pulled a cart for the president's grandchildren) Dash – collie Mr. Reciprocity and Mr. Protection – opossums Two alligators (reportedly kept in the White House conservatory)
William McKinley	Washington Post (or "Loretta") – Yellow-headed Mexican parrot (could whistle "Yankee Doodle") Valeriano Weyler and Enrique DeLome – Angora kittens Roosters
Theodore Roosevelt	Archie riding Algonquin Roosevelt family with Skip Illustration of Slippers, the White House cat Admiral Dewey, Bishop Doane, Dr. Johnson, Father O'Grady, Fighting Bob Evans – guinea pigs Algonquin – "Calico pony" (Shetland) Baron Spreckle – Hen Bill the Lizard – lizard Blackjack – Manchester Terrier Eli Yale – Hyacinth macaw Emily Spinach – garter snake Fedelity – pony Gem and Susan – dogs Jack and Pete – Terriers (Pete was sent away after biting too many legs!) Jonathan Edwards – small black bear (sent to the Bronx Zoo) Jonathan – Piebald rat Josiah (or "Josh") – Badger Manchu – Pekingese Maude – Pig Peter Rabbit – Rabbit (had a "proper state" funeral) Rollo – Saint Bernard Skip – mongrel Sailor Boy – Chesapeake Bay Retriever Tom Quartz and Slippers – Cats Bill – laughing hyena (gift from Emperor Menelik II of Ethiopia) Barn owl Fierce – one-legged rooster
William Howard Taft	Caruso – dog (a gift for Taft's daughter Helen) Mooly Wooly and Pauline Wayne – Cows (Pauline was a famous Holstein)
Woodrow Wilson	Davie – Airedale Terrier Old Ike – Ram (led the flock of sheep) Puffins – cat Bruce – Bull Terrier songbirds Sheep (up to 48 at one time, kept the White House lawn trimmed, and their wool was sold for the Red Cross)
Warren G. Harding	Laddie Boy Laddie Boy – Airedale Terrier Old Boy – Bulldog Petey – canary Pete – Squirrel
Calvin Coolidge	Portrait of Rob Roy and Grace Coolidge Rob Roy and Prudence Prim – White collies Peter Pan – Wirehair Fox Terrier Paul Pry – Airedale Terrier Calamity Jane – Shetland Sheepdog Tiny Tim and Blackberry – Chow Chows Ruby Rouch – collie Boston Beans – Boston bulldog King Cole – Belgian Sheepdog (Groenendael) Palo Alto ("Palo") – A black and white English Setter Bessie – collie Rebecca – raccoon (was supposed to be Thanksgiving dinner, but First Lady Grace built her a tree-house instead!) Reuben – A male raccoon (escaped) Ebeneezer – Donkey Nip and Tuck – canaries Peter Piper and Snowflake – Two more canaries Goldy – A "yellow bird" Do-Funny – a trained songbird (troupial) Enoch – goose Smoky – bobcat Blacky and Tiger (or "Tige") – cats Tax Reduction and Budget Bureau – lion cubs (sent to a zoo) Billy – pygmy hippopotamus A wallaby (sent to a zoo) A duiker (a small antelope) (sent to a zoo) Bruno – A black bear (sent to a zoo) Pekin Ducks – Thirteen ducklings (sent to a zoo)
Herbert Hoover	Herbert Hoover with King Tut Billy Possum – A wild opossum (adopted by the Hoovers) Caruso – A Roller canary King Tut – Belgian Shepherd (Malinois variety) Pat – German Shepherd Big Ben and Sonnie – Fox Terriers Glen – Scotch Collie Yukonan – Canadian Eskimo Dog Patrick – Irish Wolfhound Eaglehurst Gillette – Setter Weegie – Norwegian Elkhound
Franklin D. Roosevelt	FDR and Fala (1940) Fala – Scottish Terrier Major – German Shepherd (sent to live at Roosevelt's home after some biting incidents) Meggie – Scottish Terrier Winks – Llewellyn Setter Tiny – Old English Sheepdog President – Great Dane Blaze – Bullmastiff
Harry S. Truman	Feller – Cocker Spaniel (Truman gave him away because he wasn't a "pet lover") Mike – Irish Setter
Dwight D. Eisenhower	Gabby – parakeet Heidi – Weimaraner
John F. Kennedy	Kennedy family and dogs Gaullie – poodle Charlie – Welsh Terrier Tom Kitten – cat Robin – canary Bluebell and Marybelle – parakeets Ducks – JFK's daughter, Caroline, raised ducklings (they were later sent to Rock Creek Park) Macaroni – pony Tex – bay Yakut pony Leprechaun – Connemara pony (a gift from the President of Ireland) Moe – Doberman Pinscher Billie and Debbie – hamsters Pushinka – dog (a gift from Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev, Pushinka was the puppy of a Soviet space dog) Shannon – Cocker Spaniel Wolf – Dog (mix of Irish Wolfhound and Schnauzer) Clipper – German Shepherd Butterfly, White Tips, Blackie, and Streaker – Offspring of Pushinka and Charlie Zsa Zsa – rabbit Sardar – horse
Lyndon B. Johnson	LBJ with Him Him and Her – beagles Edgar – beagle Blanco – white collie Freckles – beagle Yuki – mongrel dog (famous for "singing duets" with the President) hamsters lovebirds
Richard Nixon	King Timahoe, Vicki and Pasha looking out the window in the White House Vicki – poodle Pasha – terrier King Timahoe – Irish Setter Checkers – Cocker Spaniel
Gerald Ford	Susan Ford, daughter of Gerald Ford, and the family's siamese cat, Shan, in 1974 Ford and Liberty in the Oval Office Liberty – Golden Retriever Lucky – dog Misty – Liberty's puppy (born in the White House) Shan – Siamese cat
Jimmy Carter	Amy Carter with her cat Misty Malarky Ying Yang Grits – Border collie mix (returned after snapping at visitors) Lewis Brown – Afghan hound Misty Malarky Ying Yang – Siamese cat (daughter Amy Carter's pet)
Ronald Reagan	Rex Ronald Reagan on El Alamein Lucky – Bouvier des Flandres Rex – Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Victory – Golden Retriever Peggy – Irish Setter Taca – Siberian Husky Fuzzy – Belgian sheepdog Horses (El Alamein, Nancy D, Baby, Little Man, No Strings and others) at Rancho del Cielo Cleo and Sara – tortoiseshell cats at Rancho del Cielo
George H. W. Bush	Millie Millie – Springer Spaniel Ranger – one of Millie's puppies
Bill Clinton	Socks Socks – cat Buddy – chocolate Labrador retriever
George W. Bush	India Spot "Spotty" Fetcher – female English Springer Spaniel (Millie's puppy) Barney – Scottish Terrier Miss Beazley – Scottish Terrier (a birthday gift for Laura Bush) India "Willie" – cat Ofelia – Longhorn cow (lives at Bush's Prairie Chapel Ranch)
Barack Obama	Bo and Sunny Bo – Portuguese Water Dog Sunny – Portuguese Water Dog
Donald Trump	None
Joe Biden	Biden with Champ and Major Champ – German Shepherd Major – German Shepherd rescue (sent to live with family friends) Commander – German Shepherd (a gift from the president's brother) Willow – gray tabby cat