The amazing POTUS — pets of the United States!

Photo: Nick/Adobe Stock

Let’s face it: An election year brings stress, anxiety, uncertainty, and sometimes division among our clients, teams, and families. One cannot miss multiple political stories in the news cycle. The symbiotic relationships we have with our pets and even our patients become even more critical during tumultuous periods such as volatile election years. As we get closer to Election Day, the societal stress level appears to go higher and higher. But one thing is certain: Regardless of which side of the aisle one is on, our pets and our patients need us.

Pets are emotional anchors even for those in the White House. For this reason, I thought it would be fun to take a look back on some of the pets that have graced and waddled through the halls of the White House.

Perhaps the biggest animal lover president was the Father of Our Country, George Washington. Throughout his presidency, he owned foxhounds, coonhounds, an Andalusian donkey (a gift courtesy of King Charles III of Spain),¹ a parrot, several horses and stallions, and a greyhound named General Cornwallis.²

President John Tyler (1841-1845) owned a horse named The General, a pair of wolfhounds that he imported for his wife Julia, and a canary. When The General died, Tyler had a grave dug on his estate, Sherwood. Over the grave, he had a headstone placed with the following inscription: “Here lies the body of my good horse ‘The General.’ For twenty years he bore me around the circuit of my practice, and in all that time he never made a blunder. Would that his master could say the same! John Tyler.”³

President Abraham Lincoln (1861-1865) owned a pig! He also was very attached to his family’s beloved dog, Fido, who stayed home in Springfield, Illinois. Lincoln also owned other dogs, white rabbits, several ponies, and 2 cats, named Tabby and Dixie.³

In 1944, Franklin D. Roosevelt was running for his fourth term when rumors surfaced that his Scottish terrier, Fala, had accidentally been left behind during their visit to the Aleutian Islands. After allegedly sending back a Navy ship to rescue his dog, Roosevelt was ridiculed and accused of spending thousands of taxpayers’ dollars to retrieve his beloved pet. At a speech following this incident Roosevelt said, “You can criticize me, my wife, and my family, but you can’t criticize my little dog. He’s Scotch, and all these allegations about spending all this money have just made his little soul furious.”⁴ What was later called the Fala speech reportedly helped secure re-election for Roosevelt.⁵

Former First Lady Laura Bush celebrated “all creatures great and small,” highlighting the importance of pets to family life at the White House with her 2002 holiday decorations theme. Bush noted that “animals and birds of every description have entertained, befriended, comforted, and worked for presidents and their families,” according to the White House Historical Association. With the assistance of the executive residence staff, the National Park Service, and a team of volunteers, the display truly honored “the endearing role of all dogs, cats, birds, horses, sheep, and even alligators and raccoons in White House history.”⁶

What is so remarkable is how veterinary professionals were needed all the way back to the first presidential days. As human medicine advanced during the past few centuries, so did veterinary medicine. In the 1700s and 1800s, we discovered treatments for cholera, typhoid fever, and tuberculosis. We could then apply those treatments to farm animals to protect them from these same deadly diseases.⁷

In 1863, the American Veterinary Medical Association was established to promote the field. Its purpose was to oversee the advancement of veterinary medicine and its practitioners. The FDA added a veterinary medical branch— now the Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM)—in 1965 to oversee veterinary pharmaceuticals. The work of the CVM is still essential as it oversees regulations relating to food, medicine, and other products for animals.⁷

The practice of veterinary medicine has been essential for centuries and veterinarians will continue to elevate and uphold our veterinary oath for future residents of the White House. While some pets provided simple companionship, others gained fame. Our profession’s rich past of care for pets in the White House is a true testament to our adaptability and resilience.

We must continue to provide great care to all our patients, for they need us to be their doctor, their advocate, and their voice. Our patients teach us the beauty of unconditional love and the importance of choosing kindness and compassion. Here’s to continuing to provide wonderful care for the future animals in the White House and those in your clients’ homes. We are stronger and more powerful together, as veterinary professionals and as the United States of America!

References

1. Barrett MB. Presidential menageries: George Washington, hound dogs, and super mules. Our White House. The National Children’s Book and Literacy Alliance. Accessed August 15, 2024. https://ourwhitehouse.org/presidential-menageries/
2. Calkhoven L. George Washington: An American Life. Sterling Publishing Company Inc; 2007. White House pets (1789-1850). Presidential Pet Museum. Accessed August 13, 2024. https://www.presidentialpetmuseum.com/whitehousepets-4/
3. 1944-09-23 FDR Teamsters Union address – Fala. Internet Archive. Accessed August 5, 2024. https://archive.org/details/wwii-radio-archive-torrent/1944/1944-09-23+FDR+Teamsters+Union+Address+-+Fala.mp3
4. NCC staff. Fala, the dog who helped win a presidential election. Yahoo News. September 23, 2017. Accessed August 13, 2024. https://www.yahoo.com/news/fala-dog-helped-win-presidential-election-180000212.html
5. White House pets. The White House Historical Association. Accessed August 12, 2024. https://www.whitehousehistory.org/white-house-pets
6. Retrospective: a brief history of veterinary medicine. Oakland Veterinary Referral Services. September 27, 2019. Accessed August 13, 2024. https://www.ovrs.com/ blog/history-of-veterinary-medicine/