Benjamin Harrison (1833-1901), grandson of William Henry Harrison (1773-1841), served as U.S. President from 1889-1893. When he moved to Washington, D.C. most of Harrison’s grown family also moved in to the Executive Mansion with him. They also brought pets. Dash was the most-often mentioned dog who came in with the family, but there were other mixed breed dogs, and two opossums named Mr. Reciprocity and Mr. Protection. There was also a good-sized goat called Old Whiskers.

Who was Benjamin Harrison?

If you draw a blank when you think of President Benjamin Harrison, you are not alone. Here is a bit of background:  Benjamin Harrison served as a Republican senator from Indiana from 1881-1887. He was then chosen to run against the incumbent president, Grover Cleveland. Cleveland took strong stands against the “spoils system” of governmental job distribution, and he felt the railroads needed to be regulated. Cleveland also believed tariffs needed to be lowered to get more U.S. money back into circulation. Cleveland’s initiatives angered men who benefitted from the spoils system as well as from fewer regulations.

Those men stepped forward to back Benjamin Harrison. Harrison intended to run an honest campaign but the powers behind him encouraged vote-buying and worker intimidation. Republican National Chairman Matthew Quay set aside party money to buy votes in two important states—Indiana and New York.

Harrison lost the popular vote by 100,000 votes, but he won the Electoral College by a huge margin. Harrison had 233 electoral votes to Cleveland’s 168.

Moving to the Executive Mansion

Today extended family members don’t usually live with the First Family. This was not the case with the Harrisons. Harrison moved in with his wife, Caroline, his father-in-law, John Scott, and his and Caroline’s two grown children. Both of them were married with children of their own.

Son Russell Benjamin Harrison (1854-1936), may have only lived there with his family for only the first year or so. In 1890, he bought the Helena Daily Journal and moved to Montana where they had lived previously. The goat, Old Whiskers, was said to belong to him. Perhaps he didn’t transport the goat when the rest of the family moved.

Harrison’s daughter, Mary “Mamie” Scott Harrison McKee (1858-1930) lived in the Executive Mansion with her family for the full four years her father was in office. Her children, particularly, Baby McKee, became very popular with the press.

Caroline, Harrison’s wife (1832-1892), was very committed to charity work while her husband was president. She also wanted to enlarge the home, perhaps because of the number of people they had living there. Caroline Harrison had applied to Congress for funds for expansion. Congress do was appropriate $35,000 for updating.  She installed new floors, added more bathrooms, and painted and papered. In 1891, she had electricity installed (the latest home convenience for the wealthy). But both she and the President feared being electrocuted. They left the lights each night until a building engineer arrived in the morning and could turn them off.

Toward the end of Harrison’s term, Caroline became ill and died unexpectedly. Daughter Mary filled in as First Lady during this time.

The Animals in the Executive Mansion

Of the dogs that lived with the family, Dash was the best known. He was a mixed-breed collie that may have actually belonged to Caroline. The president had a fancy doghouse built right next to the mansion.  Though Dash was definitely a family pet, writers note that Dash often wanted attention from the President. Harrison was reportedly uncomfortable playing with the dog.  He feared “his colleagues would think of him as less of a man.”

The Opossums

The opossums were said to be gifts for the grandchildren, but their names were clearly chosen by an adult: They were called Mr. Reciprocity and Mr. Protection, clearly taken from the Republican platform. “Protection and reciprocity are twin measures of Republican policy and go hand-in-hand.”

According to the Library of Congress, many local newspapers carried a mention of the oposssums’ arrival at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. A newspaper in Clifton, South Dakota, (June 25 (page 2 column 1), 1892, carried a more detailed story: “Some time ago President Harrison expressed a wish to Uncle Jerry Rusk (secretary of agriculture) for two good ‘possums as soon as frost set in. The other morning two fine young ‘possums were received at the White House. These were delivered by Adams Express Company, and were in a box marked: ‘To the President: Two citizens of Maryland—Mr. Protection and Mr. Reciprocity—with the compliments of John R. Howlett, No. 1411 N street northwest.’ Each of the animals had a red, white, and blue ribbon round his neck, one marked “protection” and the other “reciprocity.”

Old Whiskers on the Run

One day while President Harrison was waiting at the North Portico to be picked up by his carriage and driver, Old Whiskers pulling a cart carrying the grandchildren, bolted through the White House gate. A newspaper reporter described Harrison holding on to his top hat and running down Pennsylvania Avenue in active pursuit of the goat and cart. Dash ran right along with him. 

The scene must have had a happy ending as there is no further newspaper story.

More of Family Life

An article in the February 15, 1891 issue of The New York Times wrote about life at1600 Pennsylvania Avenue with the Harrisons. The reporter clearly had a source on staff who must have complained about “Indianapolis simplicity.” The article described the family’s love for codfish balls and flapjacks, Indiana specialties. The woman brought in to cook for the Harrisons noted that her people “couldn’t abide by fancy cooking.” Tthe Times’ reporter writes that the breakfasts now being served (hot bread, strong coffee, and fried steak) would not meet with the approval of an “effete New York epicure.”

While I hoped I might find more information about the family pets, I am still laughing at the final paragraph of the story:

“[Harrison’s} devotion to his grandchildren has even allowed them to participate in the observance of state occasions.  He invited the Brazilian Admiral Silviera to luncheon one day. He attended. So also did the President’s young grandson.  The three were at table, the grandson in his high chair.

“During a conversation between the two gentlemen it occurred to the grandson that he might possibly add to the gayety [sic] of nations by thumping vigorously on the table. He made the dishes jump. Silviera frowned. The President didn’t mind it, but he directed the child to be quiet. Thereupon the grandson leaned back in the chair, raised his feet in the air, and brought them down repeatedly on the table.

“See,” cried the President in gleeful simplicity. “See how well he obeys me!”

Harrison One-Termer

Ultimately, Benjamin Harrison lost the next election. Grover Cleveland regained the presidency.  Harrison passed the McKinley Tariff, the Sherman Antitrust Act, and saw the admittance of six states to the union. He also advocated for protecting the voting rights of African Americans, though nothing happened at that time.

There was one amazing first during the Harrison era. He was the earliest president whose voice has been preserved for posterity. The recording was made on a wax phonograph cylinder in 1889 by Giuseppe Bettini.  Click here to listen to this 36-second recording.

One Final Family Note: William Henry Harrison

Benjamin Harrison was not the first family member to serve as President. His grandfather, William Henry Harrison (1889-1893) was elected to be the ninth president of the United States, taking office in March of 1841. Unfortunately, he caught a cold around the time he took office. He soon had pneumonia, and he died on his 32nd day of office.

Because the stories on my website try to note the animals that the presidents brought with them, I should mention that William Henry Harrison would have moved in with horses and also a goat and a Durham cow named Sukey.

Harrison’s vice president was John Tyler. Tyler served as president from 1841-1845.

Calvin and Grace Coolidge had many pets throughout their lifetimes, but not all of them were suited for life in Washington, D.C.

When President Warren G. Harding died of a heart attack in the summer of 1923, Vice President Calvin Coolidge was sworn in as president on August 3, 1923. The Coolidge family’s move into the White House happened quickly.

As any family would, they moved with the pets they had. For those that were not suited to life in the presidential residence, the Coolidges found other homes.

The American public soon learned that the Coolidges were “pet people,” and from 1923-1929, various animals were presented, delivered, and dropped off to live at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

As for Coolidge’s term in office—the public welcomed him as a breath of fresh air. Warren Harding’s administration was plagued by scandal (the Teapot Dome Scandal among them).

Coolidge brought in a sense of propriety. He was a quiet man, and he oversaw a time of rapid and expansive economic growth (the “Roaring Twenties”). He also signed into law the Indian Citizenship Act of 1924, which granted U.S. citizenship to all Native Americans.

The Early White House Dogs

Peter Pan, a terrier, came with the Coolidges to the White House. He did not like the hustle and bustle of Washington life, so the Coolidges found a quieter home for him.

Paul Pry, an Airedale, was the next dog to arrive, and he was fiercely loyal to the Coolidges. He was so protective that he would not permit the housekeepers to enter a room where the President was. This clearly didn’t work.

The animals that had staying power were two white collies named Prudence Prim and Rob Roy. Both were acquired during the presidency and were frequently photographed with the President or First Lady.

The White Collies

Prudence Prim was acquired first from Shomont White Collies, a kennel in Monticello, Iowa. About a year later, the Coolidges wanted another dog from the same breeder. This time, they obtained a male collie who had been working on a farm in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Known as Oshkosh to the farmer, the dog helped herd the cows as needed.

When the collie arrived at the White House, Grace Coolidge gave him a new name: Rob Roy, inspired by the popular cocktail. Since the the Prohibition era continued, this was perhaps a playful nod to the times. Rob Roy quickly adjusted to his new life and became a favorite of President Coolidge.

Many of the photos of the Coolidges show them with a white collie. Research accompanying the photos most often specify Rob Roy as the dog pictured. But perhaps Prudence Prim was sometimes the white collie in question. She was said to be constantly by Grace Coolidge’s side.

Still More Dogs

After the white collies were in place, the Cooldiges acquired Beans, a Boston bulldog. Beans had the temperament of a top dog, and this caused friction with Rob Roy who felt that he was in charge. The Coolidges soon sent Beans to Mrs. Coolidge’s mother who lived in Northampton, Massachusetts.

A chow whom Grace Coolidge called Tiny Tim moved in for a time, but the President found him to be more aptly titled “Terrible Tim.” He too was given to a good home.

King Cole, an all-black Belgian Groenendael, was a gift to the Coolidges. However, King Cole was skittish around new people. A schoolteacher in Kentucky was chosen to be the new owner of the Belgian sheepdog.

A Trip to the Black Hills with Pets

In 1927, when the Coolidge family planned a summer journey to the Black Hills, both Rob Roy and Prudence Prim were chosen to go along. During the trip, the family acquired yet another dog—this one was an all-black chow they named Blackberry. When they arrived in Washington, they presented Blackberry to the woman their son John planned to marry.

Sadly, Prudence Prim became ill during the trip and died. The press wrote of Mrs. Coolidge’s sadness.

One family responded by sending their white collie to the Coolidges. They somehow arranged for the dog to travel on an airplane (this was 1927). Air transport for pets must have been even worse then than it is today. The dog—named Calamity Jane—and later called Diana, was covered in grease. According to The New York Times (8-28-1927), early photos of the dog revealed a spotted collie. When the grease was washed out of her coat, she was indeed a white collie.

Rebecca the Raccoon

In 1926, a live raccoon—later named Rebecca—was sent to the White House from Nitta Yuma, Mississippi. The sender hoped it would be served for Thanksgiving dinner at the White House.

Before the animal could be taken to the kitchen, Grace Coolidge stepped in. She felt the raccoon was docile and seemed affectionate. Though Rebecca often had the run of the White House, they also created an outdoor pen around a tree for her. Reuben, another raccoon was acquired as a companion, but he soon escaped.

This loss of Reuben did not dampen their commitment to Rebecca. The President was said to sometimes walk with Rebecca around his neck. Grace Coolidge was frequently photographed with Rebecca in her arms. (Rebecca was less popular with the staff. She sometimes used her long claws to shred furniture and even ladies’ stockings.)

When plans were made for the family to visit the Black Hills, Rebecca was included along with Roy Roy and Prudence Prim.

When they returned, Rebecca seemed restless and left the White House grounds a time or two. The family eventually decided she needed to be placed at the zoo.

Cats That Came and Went

Felines came and went in the White House. Then, as now, it’s not easy to keep track of a cat’s whereabouts. The two cats who began in the White House, Tige and Blacky, were not “keepers.” Tige liked to wander and when he was eventually found, he had gone as far as the Lincoln Memorial.

The President decided Tige should wear a collar with a brass label engraved with “White House” on it. However, this may have just been an attraction for someone. The next time Tige disappeared, he never came back.

Blacky lasted for a couple of years but was prone to hunting and bringing home his catch. That soon became tiresome for Grace Coolidge and White House staff.

Birds Came, Too

During the early part of the twentieth century, birds were common household pets. Wealthy families kept their birds in elaborate cages, and everything from canaries to parrots and more exotic pets were treasured.

The Coolidge family had at least two canaries at the White House. There may also have been a mockingbird and a blue and yellow bird that was brought to  them from South Africa. This bird was also a favorite of the First Lady.

Other Animals

In addition, the Coolidges received a wallaby, a bobcat (“Smoky Bob”), a black bear, a donkey, a duiker (small antelope) and two lion cubs (named Tax Reduction and Budget Bureau). The President hoped the cubs could be kept at the White House for a time. However, when they arrived, they were half-grown. He quickly saw they belonged at the zoo.

Billy, the Pygmy Hippo

Billy the pygmy hippo was a gift from Harvey Firestone in 1927. Firestone had a rubber plantation in Liberia. When he came upon a pygmy hippo, he thought it would be a perfect gift for Coolidge.

Pygmy hippos are actually not so “pygymy.” Billy was 6 feet long and weighed about 600 pounds. There were only eight other pygmy hippos in the country at the time, so the zoo was delighted. Not only was Billy famous as an exotic presidential pet, he proved to be a wonderful mate for Hannah, a hippo acquired for Billy. Together they had fifteen calves. Billy fathered a few more with another mate at the zoo. 

Make Room for Ducklings

During his presidency, Coolidge received 13 Pekin ducks (a type of domestic duck from Long Island). The Coolidges loved all sorts of animals and thought they might have some luck at raising the ducks.

They dedicated one of the White House bathrooms to the ducks so they could paddle in the tub and still be easily fed. However, they soon became too large and were sent off to the zoo.

Calvin and Grace Coolidge loved walking through the National Zoo, so they often visited their former pets as well as all the other animals.

The other presidential household that provided homes for many pets was Teddy Roosevelt’s. Click here for the story.

President William McKinley was a well-liked president who accomplished a great deal while in office. As 25^th president, he raised protective tariffs to help American manufacturers and stabilized American currency by passing the Gold Standard Act in 1900.

When the USS Maine was sunk by the Spanish in the Havana harbor, McKinley and most Americans favored the U.S. entry into the Spanish-American War. They supported Cuban independence, and when the U.S. was victorious, the country gained territories belonging to Spain including Cuba, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines. In 1898, McKinley also annexed Hawaii.

President McKinley and his wife were very devoted to one another, but family tragedy and multiple household moves kept their pet population down. One reporter said that McKinley was the first president since Andrew Johnson to move into the Executive Mansion without a pet.

This situation was quickly remedied with the gift of a rooster. But the president’s favorite new pet was the Mexican double yellow-headed parrot that McKinley named “Washington Post.”

This article contains more detail on the parrot and roosters at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, but I also attempt to explain why the other McKinley pets the press wrote about (an Angora cat and a dog) probably did not exist.

Rooster Arrives

Shortly after his first election in 1896, the new Republican president received a rooster as a gift from a Michigan Democrat. The Democrat’s note indicated that the gift was meant as a joke—“a little nonsense.”

The main political topic of the day was hard money vs. soft money. The Democrats, with William Jennings Bryan, were campaigning for “bimetallism,” relying on both gold and silver.

The Democrat’s note said they had looked for the biggest and loudest rooster they could find, because they wanted the new president to have the “gold standard” of roosters. Along with the rooster, they sent a silver-colored perch. The note suggested that the gold standard could be supported by silver, just as the rooster could perch on silver-colored metal. 

It’s not clear how long the rooster was kept by the McKinleys, but contemporary media writes that there were other roosters at the Executive Mansion then. Given that this was the late 19^th century, perhaps the kitchen staff kept egg-laying chickens and a rooster or two.

About the McKinleys

A reporter from the Tribune Chronicle in Warren, Ohio, has the best explanation of the McKinley household and pets. (William McKinley was from Niles, Ohio, but Warren, Ohio, would have been the nearest large town.) The article by Pat Finan says that the McKinleys were the first presidential family since Andrew Johnson to move into the White House without pets.

As a young man, McKinley moved to Canton, Ohio, in 1867 to establish a law practice. In Canton, he met Ida Saxton. She was from a well-to-do family but her father saw that she was restless at home so he suggested she take a job as a teller at his bank in Canton.

It was at the bank that Ida met McKinley. Within a few years, the couple married. From the beginning they were very devoted to each other.

Finan points out that during their early married life, the McKinleys lived in rental properties as they moved to fulfill McKinley’s political duties. After Canton, they moved to Washington while he was in the House of Representatives. They returned to Ohio in 1892 when McKinley became governor. Rental properties and frequent moves would have made pet ownership challenging.

Family Loss

The McKinleys also suffered family loss. Their first daughter, Katherine, was born on Christmas Day in 1871. Two years later a second daughter was born but lived less than a year. Two years after that, daughter Katherine died of typhoid fever.

The second birth had been hard on Ida McKinley’s health. With the deaths of both children within just a few years, she was deeply depressed. She later developed epilepsy, which confined their lifestyle even more. Though Ida and William decided he should continue with his career, his devotion to her remained constant.

Parrot as Gift

Parrots as pets were very popular in the late nineteenth century. Pet stores advertised in newspapers that readers could buy double yellow-headed Mexican parrots for as little as $10.  (Finan’s article indicated that the friend who presented the parrot paid much more–$1300, possibly a typo?)

When the double yellow-headed Mexican parrot was presented to the McKinleys, the president was said to be delighted. He named the parrot “Washington Post,” but it is not clear why that name was chosen. The Post was a relatively small paper at that time. But perhaps McKinley and Post founder Stilson Hutchins were friends.

Though African Gray parrots are the ones best known for learning to speak, McKinley’s parrot did not disappoint. He came in speaking a few words of Spanish and quickly began adding to its vocabulary.

The parrot lived in a large cage outside the executive offices on the second floor of the White House. McKinley designated the bird as “official greeter.”  The bird had a small vocabulary, and among the phrases he would say as people walked by was “Look at all the pretty girls.”

Washington Post also had musical ability.  McKinley hummed tunes like “Yankee Doodle,” “Dixie,” or a favorite song of McKinley’s “Louisiana Lou” and the bird could hum the remainder of each tune.

Assassination

McKinley won his second-term, and shortly thereafter, he and Ida left Washington on a six-week tour of the United States. They traveled by rail through the South to the Southwest; then traveled up the Pacific coast before turning east again. Ida McKinley became ill in California, so the president shortened his schedule.

One of the last stops was at the Pan American Exposition in Buffalo, New York. The president spoke before a crowd of about 50,000 people on September 5.

His assassin—Leon Czolgosz—was in the audience on the 5^th but did not feel he had a clear shot at the president. Instead, he arrived at the smaller public event for McKinley at the Temple of Music on the fairgrounds the next day. This time he was able to get quite close and shot McKinley twice in the abdomen.

McKinley was taken to the Buffalo home of the exposition president. The doctors were only able to locate one of the two bullets. At first, it seemed McKinley might recover anyway. But by September 13, McKinley’s health worsened. He died during the night, at 2:15 a.m. on September 14.

It was reported that McKinley’s primary concern was how his staff would tell Ida.

What Happened to the Parrot?

With Ida in poor health, few expected that she would survive much after the death of her devoted husband. She was considered too fragile to attend the funeral in Washington, D.C., but rode the funeral train to Canton and sat outside the room where the service was held so that she could hear what was said.

The White House staff would have organized the removal of the McKinley items in preparation for the arrival of the incoming president, Teddy Roosevelt, who was moving in with his six children and numerous pets.

It is not clear what happened to McKinley’s parrot at that time, but a follow-up article in the Charlotte News (Charlotte, North Carolina) answers many questions. The article appeared on November 8, 1902.  The bird is now referred to as “Loretta,” but it is also identified as the double yellow Mexican parrot that lived at the Executive Mansion.

The article (reporter not identified) says that after the death of the president, Loretta was sold to a resident of a “Western city.” But the new owners must not have loved Loretta the way the president did, as the reporter notes that Loretta had a couple of different homes before she was returned to the pet store in Washington from which she was originally purchased.

While there is no information on her next buyer, one would hope that someone else appreciated her superior ability to mimic voices and sounds…while keeping their fingers away from the cage. Loretta did bite!

McKinley Pet Stories That Don’t Add Up

The contemporary media proves to be unreliable on some issues, including the McKinley household and its pets. One report indicated that before her husband was president, Ida McKinley had a dog that became ill. A veterinarian was consulted and was able to bring the dog back to good health.

By the time, McKinley became president, the press writes that the veterinarian was rewarded for his fine work by being offered a spot as a doctor going off to take care of the injured during the Spanish-American War.

While being sent to war may be considered an “honor,” it’s not necessarily a gift to any family. With no opportunity to consult McKinley or the veterinarian, one can only suspect that there was another reason the vet was assigned to war duty. Perhaps he was there to tend to the horses and burros that were part of the battles.

Cat or No Cat?

A similar story plays out about an Angora cat that was said to belong to Ida McKinley before she moved to the White House. Once the McKinleys moved in, the cat gave birth to kittens. The press added into the story the names of the kittens. The two smaller kittens were supposedly named after Spanish leaders who were enemies of America. The press wrote that those two kittens came to a bad end.

But biographer Carl Sferrazza Anthony, who writes about many of the first ladies, says that he has never read anything authoritative about Ida owning an Angora cat. He also notes that she was a kind and gentle woman who would not have let anything bad happen to any pet belonging to the family.

Ida McKinley Returns to Canton

Ida Saxton McKinley lived the remainder of her life in Canton, Ohio. She supervised the building of the McKinley memorial until her death in 1907.

President Joe Biden and First Lady Dr. Jill Biden moved into the White House in 2021 with two German shepherds. Thirteen-year-old Champ and two-year-old Major. After a presidential term with no pets in the Executive Mansion, the Bidens brought a return of four-legged vitality to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. (Most presidents have had pets of some type during their time in office.)

The Bidens were always “dog people. With the time demands of politics, it was sometimes difficult to have a pet. In some ways, the Bidens story of Champ mirrored that of President Obama’s family. After many, many months of campaigning, Barack Obama announced in one of his earliest speeches that his girls would soon be getting the puppy they had so long desired.

Jill and Joe Biden seemed to have a similar agreement. Once the couple settled in to the Naval Observatory –the official residence of the vice president—Dr. Biden allowed as how they, too, could have a pet. Champ was added at that time.

Joe Biden’s Early Dogs

Joe Biden grew up in a family with big dogs. He told an audience that Labs, a Great Dane, and German shepherds shared the family home at various times.  

Biden admired the strength and intelligence of the German shepherd. While he was in law school at Syracuse University, Joe Biden had a German shepherd named Senator. Biden trained him and showed him in obedience trials as time permitted. 

For that reason, it was logical that their new puppy might be that breed. IN 2008, there was great public outcry when the newly elected vice president adopted a puppy from a breeder when shelters are filled with available dogs. That said, one look at Joe Biden holding the puppy explains everything.

Champ was a favorite of the granddaughters who also selected his name. Family stories about their grandfather frequently ended with the advice Joe was given by his own father: “When you get knocked down, Champ, get right back up!”

The grandchildren knew that Champ was the perfect name for a Biden dog. Champ became a familiar sight around the Naval Observatory. He particularly loved to chase golf balls on the front lawn.

If visitors brought their children into the Vice President’s office between 2009-2016, they were generally given a plush toy modeled on Champ.

Major Comes to Town

Major joined the family in 2018. After the public outcry about Champ coming from a breeder, Ashley Biden, Jill and Joe’s daughter, spotted a notice that a shelter run by the Delaware Humane Association had received a litter of German shepherd puppies. The dogs arrived in poor health, so they were cared for by the shelter’s veterinarian. Then the dogs were placed in foster homes until their exact fate could be worked out.

Joe and Jill contacted the shelter and offered to foster a puppy.  When it was clear that none of the dogs were going back to the original owner, they adopted the puppy that grew up to be Major.

Major Has a Tough Adjustment

For the first few days after the inauguration, the Bidens left the dogs at their home in Delaware. They hoped to bring in the dogs after some of the excitement died down.

At Champ’s age (13), he was just happy to be wherever his owners were. He sometimes wandered into the Oval Office and appeared at a cabinet meeting or two. Jill Biden always had a “no dogs on furniture” rule in their house. This was to be maintained at the White House.

Major had a more difficult adjustment. Because of the size of the White House, it’s difficult to create the boundaries where he felt at home. On March 8, 2021, Major nipped one of the security guards. It was described as a minor injury, but no First Dog could be known for biting. The dogs were sent to live with friends in Delaware while Major received some additional training.

The dogs came back to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue on March 24, and unfortunately, Major nipped again. This time it was a National Park Service employee who was assigned to walk him. The fellow received medical attention from the White House medical team and went back to work.

That weekend the First Lady was to be in Delaware, so she took both dogs home with her. One would presume the trainer continued to work with Major. Soon after, the dogs came back to the White House.

Major is described frequently in the press as the “first shelter dog” to live in the White House. While this is technically true, many presidents brought with them mutts and stray dogs that they took in. James Garfield’s dog, Veto, was adopted by Garfield because the dog frequently followed him home. The Lincoln family’s dog Fido was another street dog that found a good home. (Fido never moved to D.C. as he was agitated by loud sounds and general chaos.)

Another Major Causes Chaos

This wasn’t the first time a dog named Major caused disruption at the White House. When Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt first moved into the White House, they arrived with two dogs, Meggie, their first Scottish terrier, and Major, a German shepherd. Major was presented to then-governor Roosevelt by the Albany police force when the dog was ready to retire.

Eleanor herself drove Meggie and Major from New York to Washington, D.C. when Franklin was to take office.  This Major, too, had difficulty with boundaries. He once bit a citizen who put his hand through the White House fence, and he sometimes disrupted parties and events.

On April 29, 1933, Major made news by nipping a senator.  Eleanor Roosevelt was hosting an event for new cabinet member Frances Perkins. (Perkins served as FDR’s secretary of labor and was the first woman to hold a cabinet position.)

As the honored guests were introduced, Major barked for each one. The ladies in attendance laughed and clapped for Major. He must have become overly excited by the time Senator Hattie Wyatt Caraway was announced as he nipped her. Caraway was not seriously hurt, but Major was evicted from the party. (Caraway was appointed to fill the senatorial term of her husband when he died in 1931. In 1933, she handily won the seat for herself and served in the Senate until 1945.) 

To read more about another dog that lived with Franklin Roosevelt, read about Fala.

Announcement of Champ’s Death

On June 19, 2021, President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden announced the passing of their German shepherd Champ, whom they described as a “constant, cherished companion” for his 13 years in the Biden household.

“In our most joyful moments and in our most grief-stricken days, he was there with us, sensitive to our every unspoken feeling and emotion. We love our sweet, good boy and will miss him always,” the Bidens said in a statement.

“Even as Champ’s strength waned in his last months, when we came into a room, he would immediately pull himself up, his tail always wagging, and nuzzle us for an ear scratch or a belly rub,” the White House release said.

More Pet News From the White House?

When Joe Biden was first elected to the presidency, Dr. Jill Biden gave an interview where she expressed interest in adding a cat.  While the family sadness over Champ may have delayed this plan, eventually their may be more pet news from the Biden White House.

Overall, most Americans seem to like knowing their leader is a person who has the capacity for compassion toward animals.  “I think [a White House with pets] reminds us that presidents are people, who need family, loved ones, and down time,” say Joy McCullough, author of Champ and Major: First Dogs. This link takes you to a reading of the picture book.)

In the 1850s, the Lincoln family acquired a yellow mixed-breed dog they named Fido. Fido often accompanied Lincoln to his Springfield law office or around town on errands. Fido also loved being with the Lincoln boys, Willy and Tad, and he was known to most people in Springfield.

Fido’s Story

In the mid-19^th century, few families could afford pets, but dogs were plentiful in most communities. The strays scavenged for food around local eateries and found barns where they could sleep. These dogs were generally called “tramps.” (This may explain the Disney title, “Lady and the Tramp.”) Only a lucky few of the dogs found themselves with a home to live in and a family to love. Fido was one of them. 

Lincoln had not had an easy childhood, and his hardscrabble background gave him a soft spot for children and for animals. He rarely disciplined his sons, and of course, if a cat or a dog found their way to the Lincoln household, they were not turned away. (His wife Mary did not feel the same way. Springfield streets could be very muddy, and Mary did not like all the dirt tracked in by the children, and later, the dog.)

Robert Lincoln was away during much of this time. He was older than his brothers (born in 1843). In 1859, he was sent to boarding school, Phillips Exeter Academy.

The Lincolns Adopt Fido

Rough-coated yellow dogs like Fido were common at that time. (Lincoln had owned another “yaller dog” named Honey when younger.)

Fido must have arrived in the household by 1855 as historians can produce an invoice for vermifuge, a “de-wormer,” from the Springfield drugstore. Whether the family found him, or whether he chose them, is a story we do not know but certainly by the mid-1850s, the Lincolns had Fido living with them.

While today the name “Fido” is so common that it’s used generically to refer to canine “pets.” Fido is from the Latin “fedelitas” for faithful, so naming the dog Fido was likely very high praise for the dog.

At the time, the most popular name for dogs was Carlo, according to Matthew Algeo, author of the  book, Abe & Fido. The name “Carlo” was popular among the well-read, as it was the name of the faithful pointer in Jane Eyre.

Family Dog

Fido was very much a “house dog.” The streets of Springfield were often muddy, so between Willy and Tad and Fido, the house must have been difficult to keep clean. Over Mary’s protests, Fido sometimes climbed into bed with one of the boys. He amused the family by chasing his tail in the drawing room. At dinner, Abe and the boys were happy to pass him scraps from the table. 

Before Lincoln became president, Fido’s days were generally spent out with one family member or another. If Lincoln was doing errands, Fido went along with him and was sometimes given the responsibility of carrying Lincoln’s purchase. Fido was also well known at the barbershop. Billy the Barber was an institution in Springfield, and since Abe went in regularly for shaves (he was clean-shaven until late 1860), Fido often went, too.

When Lincoln went to his law office, Fido could have accompanied him, but chances were good that he went to find Willy and Tad instead. He could wait for them at school, or Willy and Tad were often out and about with friend. Fido liked joining them.

Like other dogs of the same time period, there was no particular effort at training Fido. He came and went as he pleased, and because Lincoln tended to indulge both his children and their pets, no one ever broke Fido of his habit of jumping up on people to cheerfully lick hello. With the muddy streets of Springfield, Fido did sometimes annoy.   

Presidential Campaign

During the mid-19^th century, it was considered unseemly for presidential candidates to campaign. Instead, party representatives traveled on a candidate’s behalf, and as many people as possible were asked to write letters in support of one candidate or another. 

In 1860, Lincoln faced a four-way election: Stephen Douglas represented the Northern Democrats, John C. Breckinridge ran on the Southern Democratic ticket, and John Bell represented the Constitutional Unionists.

The election was unlike any other. Lincoln knew that the country was at stake. Lots of planning was taking place with advisors and campaign managers traveling to Springfield to meet with Abraham Lincoln. Most meetings were at Lincoln’s law offices, but Lincoln sometimes brought men home to continue their talks.

Fido was restless and anxious from all the activity around his master, but there wasn’t much Lincoln could do about it.

When the election results were announced in November (still months from when the family would depart for D.C. in March), Springfield erupted in excitement. Cannons were fired, fireworks set off, and bands played. The town was filled with a cacophony of sounds, all of which sent Fido to hide behind the drawing room couch or upstairs under the boys’ bed.

What To Do With Fido

In observing how upsetting all the noises were for Fido, the future president had to consider what the family faced in Washington. He knew the capital was louder than Springfield, and he couldn’t imagine Fido feeling comfortable traveling by train with the family.

With difficulty, he discussed with Willy and Tad that there was just no way for Fido to come along. With protests from the kids and tears from them all, Lincoln got the boys to focus on where Fido could stay until the Lincolns returned to Springfield.

After considering various possibilities, the Lincolns all felt that The Roll family would be the right place for Fido.

John Roll was one of Lincoln’s oldest friends. Roll was just 16 when Lincoln, age 20, hired him to help build a flatboat that Lincoln planned to use to haul goods down the Mississippi. Since that time, John Roll became a contractor in town, and he and his wife had boys about the same age as Willy and Tad.  The Rolls family also lived near the Lincoln home on 8th Street, so the boys all played together. Fido was often with them and always greeted the Rolls boys with big licks on face and hands.

Roll Family Agrees

When Abe pitched the idea to John Roll, he had several requests concerning Fido:

-They were never to tie him up in the backyard by himself.

He was a house dog, so he should be allowed inside when he scratched at the door.

-He was not to be scolded for having muddy paws.

-He should be permitted to join the Roll family at dinner. Fido was accustomed to being fed by everyone at the table.

Lincoln also had one other thought. Would the family like their couch that was specially made for Abe? It was green horsehair—7 feet long to accommodate the president’s height. Fido loved being on or near the couch, too.

John Roll and his family were honored to help, and they agreed to all the points that were specified by the Lincoln family. Also included in the plans were the fact that when the Lincolns returned to Springfield, Fido would come back to live with them. 

The Family in Washington

In March of 1861, the Lincoln family made the move to Washington, D.C. to live in the executive mansion. Despite the war, Willy’s and Tad’s lives proceeded the way the lives of most young boys do with school and playtime.

Pets continued to be welcomed by Abe Lincoln and his sons. The boys had ponies, white rabbits, and two goats that kept them endlessly amused. Willy and Tad liked hitching Nanny and Nanko to a cart—or even a kitchen chair—to be pulled around. 

The goats, however, were not always popular with the White House staff as they tended to chew up things they weren’t supposed to.

Tad became very attached to a turkey that was being raised for Christmas dinner.  At Tad’s behest, Lincoln had little choice but to spare the turkey. The turkey lived on with the Lincolns as a pet, and Tad gave him full run of the mansion.  (Lincoln’s own childhood was filled with fear and disappointment, so he chose to raise his boys with much more leniency.)

There is also mention of a dog at the Executive Mansion. A visitor recalls a “very beautiful little dog” who could stand up on his back feet quite comfortably. The person referred to the dog as “Jip” or “Gyp.”

Lincoln Loved Cats

Another visitor talked of a chair pulled up to the dining table by the president. A cat sat by the president enjoying a meal with the family.  Perhaps Mary Lincoln was away at that time?

Lincoln himself was particularly fond of cats. According to the staff at Abraham Lincoln’s birthplace, if Mary Lincoln was asked about whether her husband had a hobby, she was very likely to answer “cats.”

In March of 1865 as the Civil War was coming to a close. All the requirements of rebuilding the country were being presented to the president. He frequently sat at the telegraph office in Washington so he could send and receive messages easily.

While there one day, Lincoln became distracted by three stray kittens.  When he was informed that the kittens’ mother had died, he sat with them on his lap for a few minutes and then before he left, he made certain someone there committed to taking care of them.

News from Springfield

The Lincoln family did not have opportunities to return to Springfield. Travel at that time was arduous, and with the ongoing war, President Lincoln remained in Washington except when the war called him elsewhere. However, the family received reports from townspeople.

One of the best correspondents reporting to the Lincoln was Billy the barber. Billy, of course, knew all about what was going on in town, and he often reported a bit about Fido. At the end of a newsy report about the town, Billy added:  “Tell Taddy that his (and Willy’s) Dog is alive and Kicking, doing well, he stays mostly at John E. Roll’s with his Boys who are about the size now that Tad and Willy were when they left for Washington.”

Lincoln’s Funeral

Fido was still living with the Rolls family when Lincoln was assassinated.  When the funeral was held, mourners stopped in at the Lincoln family home in Springfield to pay their respects. The Roll family brought Fido to say good-bye to his master, too.

In 1853, Abe Lincoln bought a horse that he called Old Bob. When the family departed for Washington, Lincoln sold Bob to an Irish drayman. Old Bob pulled one of the fellow’s delivery wagons. 

When the body of the president arrived in Springfield to be buried, the deliveryman provided Old Bob for the funeral procession, Old Bob wore a mourning blanket with silver fringe, and he walked immediately after the hearse carrying the President’s body.

Fido Meets His End

During the year following Lincoln’s death, Fido continued to live with the Roll family. One day he didn’t come home. The family looked for him for several days before one of the boys heard that he might be over in the community churchyard. When they arrived there, they found Fido curled up and motionless. He had a knife wound. He must have crawled to a spot where he could find shelter to die.

Later the story was pieced together by community members. Like other towns, Springfield had its share of drunks. One of them was sitting on a curb downtown when Fido must have greeted him, perhaps with the muddy paws that he was well-known for. The fellow pulled a knife and stabbed him. Because Fido got away, no one realized a serious wound had been inflicted until the family reported that Fido hadn’t come home.

It was too late to save Fido but the Rolls family saw that he had a loving farewell.

First Photo of a Presidential Pet

Today we have two similar images that show us what Fido looked like. (See below to read how these were found.)

Up until recently, most historians felt that the photograph was likely taken before the Lincolns left Springfield.

More recently, however, it has been speculated that it is more likely that Fido’s photo was taken after the assassination. (The clue to that has to do with the photographer, “Ingmire” who is identified as having taken the photograph. When more town history was researched, it seems that Ingmire did not have a photo studio in 1860.)

For the funeral, the town was overrun by people. Visitors wanted to buy items related to Lincoln. A townsperson may have decided that that a photo of Fido would sell well.

At the time, photographs were sometimes copied and made into carte-de-visite (calling cards of a sort which were very popular during the Civil War when family members wanted to be remembered).  Shortly after Lincoln’s death, the photo of Fido was reproduced as a carte-de-visite and sold to souvenir collectors.

Either explanation leaves us with the undeniable fact that we have the first photo ever taken of a Presidential dog.

How the Photo of Fido Was Found

Until about the 1940s, no one knew the story of the Lincoln family and Fido. However, thanks to an avid photo collector and his daughter, the two images of Fido led to details of the story.

Frederick Hill Meserve (1865-1962), a well-to-do executive in the textile industry, had a hobby that became all-consuming. His father fought in the Civil War and left behind a diary. Meserve wanted photographs to further tell the story of where his father fought.

He began collecting photographs from the Civil War, and as he shopped, he saw that there were many Lincoln-related images that were available. He began adding those and expanding his collection of photographs from the last 40 years of the 19^th century. He eventually amassed the largest collection of Lincoln and Civil War photographs in private hands.

At the time of his death, he owned some two hundred thousand images including at least ten thousand glass negatives of photographer Matthew Brady.

Daughter Shared Passion

His family came to share this passion.  His oldest daughter, Dorothy Meserve Kunhardt (1901-1979) became an author. One day in the 1930s, she was researching a book on Lincoln’s sons, Tad and Willy. She found two collodion negatives of an images that surprised her. The picture was of a scruffy dog positioned on what must have been a photographer’s table. The dog was paying close attention and clearly trying to please someone ordering him to stay quiet on the table.

In 1940, she traveled to Springfield and tracked down friends of the Lincoln boys. Isaac Diller (1854-1943), was son of the drugstore owner who served the Lincoln family.  Isaac Diller was a boy when the Lincolns moved away. When he grew up, he took over the family business. Dorothy Meserve Kunhardt arrived in Springfield and found Isaac, who was 86 at that time. Diller was able to identify the photograph as being that of Fido, the Lincoln’s beloved dog.

Isaac Diller then referred Kunhardt to another Springfield fellow, John Linden Roll, one of the young boys who played with Willie and Tad and whose family cared for Fido when the Lincolns moved to Washington.  From John Roll, she learned more of the story.

On February 15, 1954, Life magazine published Dorothy Meserve Kunhardt’s story of Fido. Forty years later, she and one of her sons published Twenty Days: A Narrative in Text and Pictures of the Assassination of Abraham Lincoln.

If you are convinced her name sounds familiar, you’re right. Dorothy Meserve Kunhardt was also the author of the best-selling book for babies, Pat the Bunny, first published in 1938.

The Bush family has always had dogs and loved them with great devotion. Dogs have always seen them through challenging times.

President George H.W. Bush experienced the loss of a lifetime when his wife Barbara died in April 2018.  President Bush, who suffers from a form of Parkinson’s, came down with pneumonia immediately after the funeral and was hospitalized for almost two weeks.

Upon discharge from the hospital, his children made plans for him to spend the summer as he and Barbara always did–at their compound at Walker’s Point in Maine.

(Update: President George H.W. Bush died November 30, 2018. It was fitting that after wife Barbara’s death, he had Sully, a service dog, to help him during the last few months of his life. The article below was written shortly after Sully arrived at the Bush compound in Maine.

As a specially trained service dog, the Bush family wanted Sully to continue to serve other veterans. America’s VetDogs announced that he will join the staff at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, where he will assist  with physical and occupational therapy to wounded soldiers and active duty personnel during their journey to recovery.)

New Dog Arrives

By June, President Bush was ready to add a new family member, Sully, a service dog trained by America’s VetDogs. Sully is a 2-year-old Lab named for the former airline pilot Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger III, who became famous for landing a damaged passenger jet on the Hudson River in 2009.

Because of his illness, the President uses a wheelchair and a motorized scooter to get around. He qualifies for a dog trained by America’s VetDogs because he served during World War II as a naval aviator flying torpedo bombers in the Pacific Theater. In total, he flew 58 combat missions during the war. After the Japanese surrendered, Bush was reassigned to Norfolk Naval Base (Norfolk, Virginia) where he trained new pilot until he was discharged in September of 1945.

For his wartime service, Bush received three Air Medals as well as a Presidential Citation.

Sully Arrives at Bush Home

“Hello Sully, welcome home,” were the first words spoken by President Bush, according to Sully’s trainer who delivered him to the Bush home on Walker’s Point.

Like all service dogs, Sully is specially trained to be helpful to the person to whom he is assigned. For the former president, Sully can pick up a dropped item from the floor, open doors, and summon help.

But as President Bush well knew when he first accepted Sully, the dog also provides loving companionship and many laughs.

Publicly, @georgehwbush tweeted: “A great joy to welcome home the newest member of our family, “Sully,” a beautiful and beautifully-trained lab from @AmericasVetDogs.”

Readers who have followed the Bush family through their lives know that dogs have always been important family members for the Bushes. First Lady Barbara Bush wrote a book with her Springer spaniel, Millie. The funds raised went to her favorite cause, improving literacy. Millie was also mother to a First Dog owned by President George and Laura Bush. But their most famous dogs were the Scotties—Barney and Miz Beazley. These short-legged black bundles of fur provided ceaseless fun for the family, and they willingly shared with the public via a website and a YouTube fee.

Based on the long history of Bush family dogs, it is clear that Sully has found a welcoming home.

For those of you who enjoy dog stories on Twitter, check out Sully’s feed: @sullyhwbush on Twitter.  While Sully must take his responsibilities seriously, the Twitter feed shows that there is plenty of time for him to have fun. His antics undoubtedly bring President Bush tremendous joy.

To read more about about the Bush family and their dogs, click here.

About America’s VetDogs

America’s VetDogs was created in 2003 by the Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind began in 1946 to help visually impaired students including veterans who were returning from the battlefields of Europe and the Pacific.

In 2003, the organization recognized the continuing need to help veterans by training and placing guide, hearing, PTSD, and service dogs.  For the veterans, these dogs increase independence, enhance mobility and offer companionship to veterans with disabilities from all eras.

In 2015, VetDogs opened its programs to first responders, including fire, police, and emergency medical personnel.

America’s VetDogs is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization that is donor supported. Its mission to help those who have served our country continue their lives with dignity and independence.  The dogs are provided to qualified individuals at not charge. For more information, see America’s Vetdogs.

To read about another veteran who fully benefited from a service dog, read about Slate.