Yesterday ended up being a day off. The weekend was busy with family activities and therefore I decided to take a much-needed recovery day yesterday. This means today’s newsletter is free and is a brief history of pets in the White House.
The history of pets in the White House dates back to before the White House. George Washington had several Foxhounds, Coonhounds, Greyhounds, horses, a patriot, and a donkey, but as president, he resided in the President’s House in Philadelphia. John Adams and his dogs Juno, Mark, and Satan would become the first president and presidential pets to occupy the White House.
If you are like me and were wondering for a second why John Adams had a dog named Satan it is for the utmost of relatable reasons. The dog’s name was originally Peter but he kept getting in Adams’ way so he changed the name to Satan.
Now back to the history of pets in the White House. Every single president except one has had pets, but it wasn’t until Warren G. Harding and his Airdale, Laddie Boy, that presidential pets would become a media sensation. This is easy t understand if you know that Warren G. Harding was one of the least fit political figures to hold the office of the President. Rife with scandals like Teapot Dome and the Veterans’ Bureau Warren G. Harding’s presidency often ranks near the bottom of any list.
What Warren G. Harding had were a striking figure and handsome features. He looked like a president. This is what got him elected and made him a media darling. What Harding lacked in statesmanship and political acumen he made up for by looking like a president. With plenty of media attention on the man, it is no surprise that his pet, Laddie Boy, garnered just as much and became the first celebrity dog in the White House.
Since that time there have been profiles and write-ups of every presidential pet with some of them like Nixon’s dog Checkers and Clinton’s cat Socks being more fondly remembered than the men that sat behind the Resolute desk.