A History of Presidential Pets in the White House

The White House has been home to many presidents and their families over the years, and it’s also been home to a wide variety of pets. From dogs and cats to horses and even a raccoon, the animals that have lived in the White House have played a special role in presidential history.

The first president to have a pet in the White House was George Washington, who owned several hunting dogs. Throughout the 19th century, presidents continued to keep dogs, cats, and horses. In the early 20th century, presidents began to keep more exotic pets, such as birds, monkeys, and even a lion cub.

The most famous presidential pet of all time is probably Fala, Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Scottish terrier. Fala was a constant companion to Roosevelt, and he even had his own White House quarters. Fala was so popular that he was featured in several news articles and even had his own book.

In recent years, presidents have continued to keep pets, and their animals have become even more popular. Barack Obama’s dogs, Bo and Sunny, were widely loved by the public, and they even had their own social media accounts. Donald Trump’s dog, Patton, was also a popular figure, and he was often seen accompanying Trump on trips and at events.

The current president, Joe Biden, has two German Shepherds, Champ and Major. Champ is Biden’s older dog, and he has been with the family since 2008. Major is a rescue dog that Biden adopted in 2018. Both dogs are popular with the public, and they are often seen accompanying Biden on walks and at events.

Presidential pets have played a significant role in American history. They have provided companionship to presidents, and they have also served as symbols of the American people. The animals that have lived in the White House have been a part of our nation’s story, and they will continue to be a part of it for years to come.

A Timeline of Presidential Pets

Here is a timeline of some of the most notable presidential pets:

President	Pet	Type	Years in the White House
George Washington	Various hunting dogs	Dogs	1789-1797
Thomas Jefferson	Sally Hemings	Horse	1801-1809
Andrew Jackson	Various dogs	Dogs	1829-1837
Abraham Lincoln	Fido	Dog	1861-1865
Theodore Roosevelt	Various dogs, cats, and horses	Dogs, cats, horses	1901-1909
Woodrow Wilson	Various dogs, cats, and a goat	Dogs, cats, goat	1913-1921
Calvin Coolidge	Various dogs, cats, a donkey, a raccoon, and a Pygmy hippopotamus	Dogs, cats, donkey, raccoon, Pygmy hippopotamus	1923-1929
Franklin D. Roosevelt	Fala	Scottish terrier	1933-1945
Harry S. Truman	Mike	Dog	1945-1953
John F. Kennedy	Charlie	Irish setter	1961-1963
Richard Nixon	Checkers	Cocker spaniel	1969-1974
Ronald Reagan	Lucky	Golden retriever	1981-1989
Bill Clinton	Buddy	Labrador retriever	1993-2000
George W. Bush	Barney	Scottish terrier	2001-2009
Barack Obama	Bo and Sunny	Portuguese water dogs	2009-2017
Donald Trump	Patton	Golden retriever	2017-2021
Joe Biden	Champ and Major	German Shepherds	2021-present

As you can see, presidents have had a wide variety of pets over the years. Some presidents have had just one or two pets, while others have had many more. Some presidents have had dogs, cats, and horses, while others have had more exotic pets, such as birds, monkeys, and even a lion cub.

Presidential pets have played an important role in American history. They have provided companionship to presidents, and they have also served as symbols of the American people. The animals that have lived in the White House have been a part of our nation’s story, and they will continue to be a part of it for years to come.