Donald Trump might be the first U.S. President in 150 years to not have a pet in the White House after a plan to have him adopt a golden doodle dog fell through.
With Mr. Trump’s inauguration on January 20, many are left wondering if his family will have a pet residing with them at the White House. If not, he could be the first President in 150 years without a pet.
The Trump family does not have a history of keeping animals around the house and there is not any indication, at least, not yet.
“This is a very significant time in presidential pet history. First families with pets make people feel like they’re just like us,” said Claire McLean, founder of the Presidential Pet Museum, a donation-based institution not affiliated with the White House or the federal government.
The museum displayed statues, books, vintage pictures, and artefacts such as a bell that was said to belong to former President William Taft’s milk cow.
“You can teach children and adults about the presidents of the U.S. through the pets easier than you can through anything else,” Ms. McLean was quoted as saying by CBS news.
A rarity
A White House without a four-legged friend would be a rarity, says Dave Baker, the co-owner of the museum.
Throughout history, America’s first families often had pets in their families.
President Barack Obama’s fluffy family dogs Bo and Sunny have stolen American’s hearts. But as the Obama family prepares to leave the White House at the end of January, so will the fluffy tenants.
George W. Bush had a Scottish terrier named Barney Bush, the Clintons had a Labrador retriever named Buddy and a cat named Socks, while America’s 27th president, William Howard Taft, had a milk cow.
