Nixon frequently took her on trips and was known for his playful nature, which she demonstrated in many of her interactions with him. When Russell Harrison returned from his recent trip to Florida he brought with him two alligators as an addition to the White House pets. However, it is known that some presidents, including Thomas Jefferson and Theodore Roosevelt, kept alligators as pets during their time in office. Do not like the way some of the presidents are portrayed. Still, it reminded us of a more literal claim about alligators in the nation's capital, namely the oft-repeated "fun fact" that at least two previous chief executives, John Quincy Adams and Herbert Hoover, kept alligators as pets on the White House grounds. There was an error retrieving your Wish Lists. Mary Thorn. I have not recommended it to anyone and do not intend to do so! Cranky. State law prohibits individuals from owning any "dangerous animal" except for those kept at a zoo, research lab, veterinary hospital, animal refuge or federally licensed exhibit. When John Quincy Adams was a guest, he used a crocodile to scare them. 30 August 2017. Our U.S. presidents had all kinds of pets--lots of dogs and cats, of course--but they also had some very strange pets. Copyright 1996-2015 National Geographic SocietyCopyright 2015-2023 National Geographic Partners, LLC. It's unknown what possessed Lafayette to hand deliver the gators but it can be surmised there was a lost in translation moment somewhere along the way, resulting in a pair of real alligators instead of, say, alligator shoes. He was a close friend of Nixon and was frequently spotted walking and traveling with him. Fortunately the family fell in love with her, and instead adopted Rebecca as a pet. And visit Cracked.com's Top Picks because we have pet alligators, too. In the end, Congress won and the cubs were removed from the White House and placed in a Washington zoo. For years Pippa the terrier would bark, snap and chase away Casey the saltwater . Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama both had a ton of animals, some of which were quite bizarre. His father wouldn't move into the White House until 1929. Father and son lived in the White Houseand so did their dogs. The animal was finally caught and returned to the White House lawn, and everyone shook their head, smiled and thought about what an amusing story it would make for future comedy websites. Lafayette brought with him that day a gift for President Adams: two alligators. No more changing the clocks? The raccoon was later named Rebecca, and the first lady, Grace, would walk her on a bedazzled leash. The General, who was making the White House his headquarters that summer, had left his live alligator in the East Room until he could find a suitable home for it, and was also using the room as a storehouse for the gifts that had been bestowed on him. James Buchanan, the 15th president, received a herd of elephants from the King of Siam (now called Thailand). They shot the other one dead, too, since once you get into the bear-shooting groove it's actually really hard to stop. only to have the adviser's answer cut off by a Congressman running from the bathroom, his pants around his knees and shrieking, "AAAAHHHRRRGGHH!! It's a great way, though, to get kids learning while they're reading and having fun, and the activities prove that a variety of kids can enjoy the book, which isn't limited to one audience. By the time Billy arrived, Coolidge had amassed an assortment of dogs, birds, a wallaby and a domesticated raccoon named Rebecca, a filthy but favorite pet of the first lady. Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web. The Roosevelts had all kind of animals, including lizards, snakes and a one-legged chicken. Running to show his father, Quentin interrupted an important meeting and dropped the snakes all over his father's desk! The True Story of John Quincy Adams Pet Alligator, A Brief History of 5 Failed North American Colonies, The Rise of Kpop: How a Genre Took over the World. Still, badgers are fierce little bastards and one wonders how the little girl was able to even get a hold of one, let alone hurl it at a passing Theodore Roosevelt as his train pulled out of some backwater train station in Kansas. During Andrew Johnsons presidency, he kept mice in the White House and fed them to them. 5. Who exactly supplied the ram with the cigarette butts and black lumps of chewing tobacco is up for discussion, but at a time when the stuff was being handed out to kids on Halloween, it couldn't have been too hard to come by. They were piled haphazardly in the comers and on sofas and chairs. A small dog that spent a decade tormenting a crocodile on her owner's property in Australia has been eaten by the animal she taunted for so long. 19 / 46. Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations. Farm animals have also had their turn. , Little Patriot Press; Illustrated edition (February 4, 2013), Language Odd book, but preschoolers will like the pictures. The White House and Its Thirty-Three Families. President Herbert Hoovers (1929-1933) younger son Allan had two pet gators in the early 1930s, which actually roamed on the White House grounds. Main Menu. New York: McGraw Hill, 1958. Revolutionary War hero the . Of the many species on earth today that can trace their ancestry back to prehistoric times, evolution has touched crocodiles perhaps least. He was given the alligator by the Smithsonian Institution and kept it in a bathtub in the White House. Him sired a litter of puppies in 1965, and LBJ . "John Quincy Adams's Pet Alligator Was a Crock." President George W. Bush became president in 2001, eight years after his father, President George H.W. Look inside to find your favorite pet. Two dogs and two cats were necessary, and among the transitory possessions were two ducks which he trained to sit on the front porch to the infinite entertainment of passers-by. Please try again. The reason for the president chosing that name for his dog is lost to history. Quentin's animal adventures didn't end there. Old Whitey, a wartime mount Apollo, a former circus pony. 1. Bettmann, via Getty Images. In order to do his part for the war effort at home, Wilson brought in a flock sheep to graze the White House lawn which allowed the administration to do away with the groundskeeper and his crew, quite possibly the first migrant workers who were actually removed from a menial job no one else wanted to do. 3 years ago. There's a certain irony to capturing and enslaving an animal from a country that was founded by freed slaves from the United States, but we digress Firestone believed the pygmy hippo would make a wonderful gift for President Coolidge, already a collector of strange and exotic pets. For most Americans, when the president comes to town they dress up in their best red, white and blue, wave a miniature stars and stripes and hope the most powerful leader in the western world will give 'em a smile. K - 12th grade . President Thomas Jefferson (1801-1809) had two grizzly bear cubs, one male and one female, which were given to him by American explorer Capt. Among Calvin Coolidges animals were bobcats, wallabys, pygmy hippos, bears, and raccoons. Copyright 2023 MarketWatch, Inc. All rights reserved. Family, faith and fitness are all integral to her life, and Cheryl loves what she does. Wide Awake (Vol. He kept it in a bathtub in the East Room of the White House. They were reportedly seen grazing on the White House lawn and provided the home's milk and butter, a daily necessity for Taft's time in office. "Florida Alligator Will Be White House Pet." It created a bit of a cult . Irwan, the reptile's owner, said he bought the animal 20 years ago from local fishermen who . As the saying goes, behind every myth is a story about something that happened to inspire it. Bipartisan bill to make daylight-saving time permanent rolled out again. Associated Press. Mahajangasuchus: 100.5-66 million years ago, estimated to be 16 feet long . But so far there is no record of anyone coming forward as a victim of the alligator prank. Australian researchers have found the 95-million-year-old remains of a crocodile that had eaten a dinosaur before it died. He used it to terrify guests for about two months before finally giving it away. 0. Then in 2013, the Obamas brought home a second Portuguese water dog, Sunny. He is the longest-running major antagonist in the series. He took his shot and bolted out the White House gates (Apparently at that time, the White House gates were just sort of left open, just in case one of the neighbors wanted to wander on in and borrow something from the Lincoln bedroom). Nixons other dogs were frequently seen playing with the lively Pasha. They eventually sent him to a nearby zoo. This animal is the largest of the carnivorous kind I ever saw". She is also happily married to Peter Barnes (author of the books Cheryl illustrates and the Fox Business News-Washington, D.C., senior correspondent) with two daughters, and she is strikingly attractive and physically fit. Many of the residents of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue have been animal lovers, with the hallowed presidential tradition of keeping a pet in the White House stretching back to its very first occupant, John Adams. John Quincy Adams, a noted environmentalist, is said to have kept an alligator in the East Room during his presidency. The Brent Spiner lookalike was able to acquire a couple of grizzly bear cubs which he promptly sent to President Jefferson as either a gift or an assassination attempt. And so, little Josiah the badger passed from Kansas flatland to White House opulence. First Lady Louisa Adams also kept silkworms, and she harvested their silk for her personal sewing. Twitter/@TheFigen. Crocodiles have an image problem in the Philippines. : Mourasuchus: 23-5.3 million years ago, one of the largest crocodiles ever, up to 39 feet long, with a duck-like bill and pelican-like pouch, fossils found in South America, a unique specimen on our list of ancient crocodiles. Billy the Pygmy Hippo found his way to the White House via Liberia after he was captured there by Harvey Firestone, maker of Firestone tires. Millie was an English springer spaniel that was the first President Bush's family pet. The president then adopted the alligator as a pet. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. From George Washington's Dalmation all the way up to President-elect Joe Biden's rescue dog, here's a look at the long history of presidential pets. The newest White House pet is Willow the cat . Caroline and the pony featured in a Life magazine spread on the first family, and singer-songwriter Neil Diamond claimed that the images inspired his hit song "Sweet Caroline.". (Although that was nothing compared with Roosevelts bulldog Pete, who almost caused an international incident when he tore the pants off a French ambassador.). Old Whitey and Apollo . During his many travels, he was gifted many things both practical, conventional and unconventional. : But more than dogs have lived in the White House. In fact, most modern presidents have owned cats and dogs. President Lyndon Johnson had two pet beagles, Him and Her. Suspendisse ultrices hendrerit a vitae vel a sodales. Very large text size. The last thing the White House needs is another dog, damn it. Sunny, a 1-year-old Portuguese water dog whose disposition seems to match her name, has joined Every year, September 23 is designated National Dogs in Politics Day, celebrated on the anniversary Post was not sent - check your email addresses! In mainstream Filipino society crocodiles are considered dangerous man-eaters, and compared with corrupt government officials or selfish . The man, Firman, who like many Indonesians goes by one name, had kept the saltwater crocodile (Crocodylus porosus) in an enclosed pond behind his house for 13 years. But the first presidential kitties belonged to Abraham Lincolnhe even fed them off gold White House forks. Overall, this book does a great job of capturing kids' attention and giving them a story to read that will keep them excited for multiple times. A herd of sheep graze on the White House lawn during Woodrow Wilson's presidency. By providing food and water for birds, he induced scores of them to daily visit us. The most popular pet by some way is a dog, owned by 30 of the 45 presidents. The wife of John Quincy Adams, the sixth president, had silkworms. First Lady Grace Coolidge holds the family's pet raccoon, Rebecca, at a White House event. The commander in chief also had two Scottish terriers named Barney and Miss Beazley, but Spotty was the only pet to live in the White House during two administrations.