presidential mascots
At the Presidential Pet Museum, you can learn about what current and former presidents had for pets. Going through the list, most of them are/were pet lovers and some had multiple pets. The list is too long to mention each one, but here are some of the most recent.
Barack Obama has a Portuguese water dog named Bo that Senator Ted Kennedy gave to his children.
George W. Bush had several pets. A Scottish Terrier named Miss Beazley, an English Springer Spaniel named Spot, another Scottish Terrier named Barney, a cat named India, and a Texas Longhorn named Ophelia.
Bill Clinton had a cat named Socks and a Labrador retriever named Buddy.
George Bush had Millie and Ranger, two Springer Spaniels.
Ronald Reagan had two dogs, Lucky and Rex (King Charles Cavalier Spaniel) and several cats.
Jimmy Carter had a dog named Grits and a Siamese cat named Misty Malarky Ying Yang.
Gerald Ford had a Golden Retriever named Liberty and a Siamese cat named Shan.
Richard Nixon had three dogs named Checkers, Vicky, and King Timahoe.
Lyndon Johnson had two beagles, He and She, a white collie, Blanco, and Yuki, a mongrel. He also had hamsters and lovebirds.
John Kennedy had many pets. Charlie, Caroline’s Welsh Terrier, a cat named Tom Kitten, a canary named Robin, two parakeets, Bluebell and Marybelle, three ponies, Caroline’s Macaroni, Tex and Leprechaun, two hamsters, Debbie and Billie, a rabbit named Zsa Zsa, the Mrs. Kennedy’s horse, Sardar, and various dogs, including Pushinka, Shannon, and Clipper.
Looking back in time before automobile use, many of the pets were horses. Many of our country’s early presidents were excellent horsemen who enjoyed horseback riding and hunting. Their horses were highly prized and large tributes were paid to them when they died.
The Presidential Pet Museum was founded in 1999 and is part of President’s Park located in Williamsburg, Virginia. The museum is a collection of photographs, stories and artifacts of these pets. You will be surprised how many and what kind of animals they kept as pets. Some of the pets were given to them by foreign countries.
A president is no different than the others for having a pet. Many grew up with animals that lived on farms and ranches. A pet provides love and companionship that helps relieve stress. He was able to enjoy quality time with the pet without having to worry about day-to-day care. They are/were very supportive of organizations related to animal care and welfare.
It is very interesting to learn about the different pets. Visiting the museum in Williamsburg can be very entertaining and educational.