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WASHINGTON (AP) – Major Biden starts early in the limelight as a presidential pet after a play date ends with his owner, President-elect Joe Biden, suffering from a broken foot. As if that wasn’t enough for a weekend, it’s also been confirmed that Major will have to share the White House with, of all things, a cat.
It’ll be better, major.
In a few weeks, Major, his German Shepherd companion Champ and feline TBD are expected to move to the White House. Presidential pets provide their owners with a source of comfort, entertainment, the occasional theater, and generally good public relations.
The arrival of the Biden animals will also mark the next chapter in a long history of pets residing in the White House after a four-year hiatus under the Trump administration.
“Pets have always played an important role in the White House over the decades,” said Jennifer Pickens, an author who studies White House traditions. “He not only provides company for the president and his family, but I think it humanizes and softens their political image as well.”
Having a dog or a cat will give some pet-loving voters a bond with the president, added Tom Whalen, presidential historian at Boston University.
“When a president, the leader of the country, the leader of the free world really, is seen with a dog or a cat, you know there’s basically a connection that they have with their audience, whether they’re Republicans or Democrats. . Said Whalen.
President Theodore Roosevelt brought in Skip, who is described by the White House Historical Association as a “black and tan mongrel terrier with short legs brought home after a bear hunt in Colorado.” Warren G. Harding had Laddie Boy, who attended meetings and had his own chairman of the cabinet. And President Franklin Delano Roosevelt had his beloved Fala terrier. At night, Fala slept on a special chair at the foot of the President’s bed.
Most recently, President George HW Bush’s English Springer Spaniel, Millie, was featured in “The Simpsons” and starred in a bestseller, “Millie’s Book: As Dictated by Barbara Bush.” Hillary Clinton followed Bush’s lead with a children’s book about the Buddy and Cat Socks family dog: “Dear Socks, Dear Buddy: Children’s Letters to the First Animals.”
When he declared victory in the 2008 presidential election, Barack Obama told his daughters: “You won the new puppy that comes with us to the White House.” Several months later, Bo joined the family, a gift from Senator Ted Kennedy. A few years later, her Portuguese water dog companion Sunny would arrive to provide company.
Among the unknown White House pets were Calvin Coolidge and First Lady Grace Coolidge’s raccoon named Rebecca. It was given to the Coolidge family by a supporter who suggested the raccoon be served for Thanksgiving dinner, according to the White House Historical Association. But instead, she got an embroidered collar with the title “White House Raccoon” and entertained the kids at the White House Easter Egg Roll.
Some notable animals belonged to the first children, including Amy Carter’s Siamese cat, Misty Malarky Ying Yang, and Caroline Kennedy’s pony, Macaroni. The Kennedy family had a real menagerie, with dogs, cats, birds, hamsters and a rabbit named Zsa Zsa.
President Harry Truman said: “If you want a friend in Washington, take a dog.” It should come as no surprise that many presidents have followed this advice. First President Bush once said, “There is nothing like the unconditional love of a dog to help you get through tough times.”
“From a presidential point of view, you know, a dog or a cat or a horse, they’re great because they’re non-judgmental. They will give you their love without reservation. And they won’t criticize what you did in Somalia or the way the economy is doing, ”Whalen said. “The animals are always there for you. And I think presidents, whether you’re a Democrat or a Republican, need that kind of reassurance every now and then, given the situation.
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Associated Press video reporter Mike Householder contributed to this report from Detroit.
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