First Pets: Furry White House companions through the ages
First Pets: Furry White House companions through the ages, including cats, dogs and ponies
While former President Donald Trump was one of the few presidents who did not bring a pet with him while in office, the commanders-in-chief of the United States have a long history of pets throughout the centuries. Not only do presidents bring their families to the White House, but they have also made it a tradition to bring their furry companions to one of the most influential addresses in the modern world.
John F Kennedy - Blackie, Charlie and Clipper
President John F Kennedy probably owned the largest number of pets among all the presidents of the United States. He had a large pack of dogs including Gaullie, Charlie, Clipper, Blackie and horses named Macaroni and Sardar among others.
Lyndon B Johnson - Him, Her, Kim, Freckles, Blanco
The 36th President of the United States, Lyndon B Johnson, had several pets to keep him company during his exalted life in the White House. The family owned a couple of beagles named Him and Her. Her died in 1964 and Him later sired a litter of puppies. The president's daughter, Luci, kept two of them and named them Kim and Freckles. They also had another beagle named Edgar, a white collie named Blanco, a mongrel dog named Yuki, and hamsters and lovebirds.
Richard Nixon - King Timahoe, Vicky and Pasha
No trio is probably as famous as Richard Nixon's three pets - King Timahoe, Vicky and Pasha. Vicky, a poodle; Pasha, a Yorkshire Terrier; and King Timahoe, an Irish Setter formed the famous trio of the 37th President of the US Richard Nixon. Later, the Cocker Spaniel Checkers joined the motley of Nixon's furry friends.
Gerald Ford - Liberty and Shan
Gerald Ford had a Golden Retriever named Liberty who accompanied him to the Oval Office as well. Apart from Liberty, the family owned a Siamese cat named Shan, and two more dogs named Lucky and Misty.
Ronald Reagan - Lucky and Rex
During his tenure as the President from 1981 to 1989, the 40th President of the United States, Ronald Reagan housed a series of furry pets in the White House. Among his pets, the herding dog breed Bouvier des Flandres by the name Lucky, the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel by the name Rex, and the Golden Retriever named Victory deserve special mention. He also had a large stable of horses and tortoiseshell cats.
George HW Bush - Millie and Ranger
George HW Bush was the proud pet parent of the Springer Spaniel Millie. Millie gave birth to Ranger who also accompanied the President for four years before his death prematurely. Millie's pup Spotty became the first dog to remain in the White House under two Presidential regimes when George W Bush became the President in 2001.
Bill Clinton - Socks and Buddy
Bill Clinton started his tenure as the 42nd President in 1993 with his tuxedo cat Socks. In 1997, the Clinton family got a chocolate Labrador Retriever, Buddy. However, it was said that the duo did not get along with Socks despising Buddy from the very first instance he was brought to the White House. Clinton famously said about the cat and dog fight of the pair, "I did better with the Palestinians and the Israelis than I've done with Socks and Buddy," per Vanity Fair. The duo also were the subject of a book by then First Lady Hillary Clinton, 'Dear Socks, Dear Buddy: Kids' Letters to the First Pets'.
George W Bush - Barney, Miss Beazley and India
George W Bush was a pet aficionado and had a series of pets during his tenure at the White House. The junior Bush had the puppy Millie (senior Bush's English Springer Spaniel), Spot 'Spotty' Fetcher who died in 2004. The family also had two Scottish Terriers, Barney and Miss Beazley, who died in 2013 and 2014. Bush also had a pet cat named India.
Barack Obama - Bo and Sunny
Bo was the Portuguese water dog given to former President Barack Obama in 2009 when he was still a puppy. He served as the Obamas' First Dog from 2009 to 2017. In August 2013, Bo was joined by Sunny - a female of the same breed. Because of Obama's elder daughter Malia's allergies, a hypoallergenic breed was selected.
Joe Biden - Champ, Major and Commander
When Joe Biden started his tenure as the American President in the White House, he and the First Lady were joined by their family dogs - the two German Shepherds, Champ and Major. After Champ died on June 19, 2021, he was succeded by another German Shepherd named Commander and came to the White House on December 20, 2021. But on October 5, 2023, it was announced that following several incidents of biting, Commander was moving out of the White House. The First Family is also said to own Willow - a tabby cat as their pet.