Bill Clinton grew up with dogs, so it was only natural that at some 
point the Clintons would add a dog to their family. The decision to expand their “pack” came as Chelsea was preparing to leave for college.
The four-and-a-half month-old chocolate Labrador arrived at the White House in the fall of 1997 with the name of Teddy (the breeder thought he looked like a teddy bear). However, in a 90-minute press conference concerning news issues of the time (December 16, 1997), Bill Clinton took a moment to announce that he was naming the dog Buddy.
Clinton told the press that he had had a great-uncle who raised dogs, and the man, who was called Buddy, had been very influential in Bill Clinton’s life. The relative had recently died so Bill found it an appropriate way to remember him.
Clinton Cat and Clinton Dog
Until Buddy’s arrival, the only pet in residence in the Clinton White House had been Socks, the cat. The cat was said to have been a stray found outside the home of Chelsea Clinton’s piano teacher. The cat approached Chelsea, and soon he was going home with her and had a loving home, first in the Arkansas governor’s mansion and later at the White House. Continue reading
