Deasy Tuwo, who ran a . Finally, Old Whiskers decided he'd towed the bratty grandkids for the last fucking time. The president then adopted the alligator as a pet. 10 February 1921. However, his most well-known pet was Checkers the cocker spaniel, who . After viewing product detail pages, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in. Many of the 45 presidents of the United States have been animal lovers, with pet choices far beyond the ordinary run of cats and dogs. President Herbert Hoovers (1929-1933) younger son Allan had two pet gators in the early 1930s, which actually roamed on the White House grounds. He used it to terrify guests for about two months before finally . Scratch that - Audrey Hepburn had a deer, Dali had an ocelot, and Queen Victoria had Tibetan goats. I am Romero Esposito, and I am passionate about reptiles. So the cubs were sent to a local zoo. The list of "dangerous animals . 30 August 2017. Running to show his father, Quentin interrupted an important meeting and dropped the snakes all over his father's desk! On the chance that you're considering a gator as a pet, don't do it. Suspendisse ultrices hendrerit a vitae vel a sodales. Our U.S. presidents had all kinds of pets--lots of dogs and cats, of course--but they also had some very strange pets. National Archives: Hoover Heads blog. 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. But some presidents have brought somewhat more exotic pets with them to the White House, with Theodore Roosevelt and Calvin Coolidge owning a large menageries during their times. by mrsfarleyf26. When John Quincy Adams was a guest, he used a crocodile to scare them. Do not like the way some of the presidents are portrayed. President Adams' Alligator: and Other White House Pets (Little Patriot Press), Hardcover Picture Book, February 4, 2013. Above: A hippo, probably fucking something. Both visitors declared the alligators to be veritable mascots, and after a little persuasion they induced Mr. Harrison to go out to Bennings with them after each of the trio had rubbed fat pocket-books across the scaly backs of the saurians, the latter apparently enjoying the sensation and craving more. Joe and Jill Biden plan to bring their German shepherds Champ and Major with them to the White House in January 2021, and many people reacted with joy that there would be pets in the White House again after Trump became the first president in more than 100 years to eschew keeping a furry or feathered friend. Modern presidents know better than to have wild animals as pets. Write CSS OR LESS and hit save. After a forest fire moves through a small California town, a class of fifth grade students reflect on how they survived, and those who didn't make it. He in return gave the alligator to President John Quincy Adams. The first family bottle-fed Josiah until he cut his teeth, at which point the badger would zip along White House floors, nipping and biting at the heels of passers-by. In terms of the nominations, Theodore Roosevelt is tied with Franklin D. Roosevelt. President Martin Van Buren (1837-1841) was given a pair of tiger cubs by the Sultan of Oman, but Congress confiscated them. Photograph by Paul Morse, AFP, Getty Images. We were unable to locate any earlier published references to Lafayette and his alligators, a result confirmed by presidential history blogger Howard Dorre, who reports finding no primary sources confirming the anecdote at all. Our U.S. presidents had all kinds of pets lots of dogs and cats, of course but they also had some very strange pets. Contrary to what most Internet sources claims, the book recorded that General Lafayette was staying in the white house for about two months and had a pet alligator with him that scared most guest. He was given the alligator by the Smithsonian Institution and kept it in a bathtub in the White House. President James K. Polk, 1845-1849 . White House staff reportedly weren't so keen on Rebecca, due to her habit of clambering onto furniture, damaging expensive upholstery with her claws. 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. 1922. Ali. John Quincy Adams was the sixth president of the United States of America and Lafayette was a revolutionary war hero. There is no definitive answer to this question, as there is no record of every president who has ever kept an alligator in the White House. As an official gift, Obama was given crocodile insurance, which would have paid out A$50,000 to his wife, Michelle, if the president had been attacked by a crocodile. Life is good. Which president has the craziest pet? History, Fun. Old Whitey and Apollo . Upton, Harriet Taylor. Full content visible, double tap to read brief content. President John Quincy Adams (1825-1829) kept an alligator in a bathtub. , Little Patriot Press; Illustrated edition (February 4, 2013), Language Among Calvin Coolidges animals were bobcats, wallabys, pygmy hippos, bears, and raccoons. This material may not be reproduced without permission. President Martin van Buren fought Congress to keep two tiger cubs. In the end, Congress won and the cubs were removed from the White House and placed in a Washington zoo. By - June 6, 2022. Presidential Trivia DRAFT. He helped the colonists against the British. As the saying goes, behind every myth is a story about something that happened to inspire it. Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile: Directed by Josh Gordon, Will Speck. Our website offers a wealth of information on all things reptilian, from care and husbandry tips to in-depth articles on the natural history of these amazing creatures. The wife of John Quincy Adams, the sixth president, had silkworms. James Garfield - Newfoundland Dog. Nixon affectionately referred to Vicky as his little girl and took her on walks frequently. Reviewed in the United States on July 25, 2018, Reviewed in the United States on June 24, 2013. President William H. Taft's prized pets were two cows: one named Mooly Wooly, the other named Pauline. My grandson loves alligators, crocodiles. 3 years ago. Lord Byron was angry with the college rules, so he brought a tame bear as a pet. Then in 2013, the Obamas brought home a second Portuguese water dog, Sunny. If you are interested in these magnificent creatures and have fallen in love with them, then you might want to know some crocodile names. Kirkus Reviews. 19 February 2018. Beat gives a rundown of all of the pets of all of the American Presidents while they lived in the White House. She was a gift from a Wisconsin senator who presumably thought the always hungry president would slaughter the cow and invite him over for steaks on the grill. Reviewed in the United States on March 13, 2013. 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. Brief content visible, double tap to read full content. U.S. Government Printing Office. He is the longest-running major antagonist in the series. Peter and Cheryl Barnes are a husband and wife writing/illustrating team that specializes in educational books for children. A Florida alligator with a six-foot smile, more or less, is to succeed as White House pet President Taft's famous cow, Pauline, the pony that rode in an elevator in President Roosevelt's administration, and more recently, President Wilson's flock of lawn mowing sheep. There was a problem loading your book clubs. Or when President Calvin Coolidge (1923-1929) was given a raccoon to be served at Thanksgiving dinner in November 1926, he pardoned it and adopted it, instead. Screen grab from viral video. Look inside to find your favorite pet. A White House zoo? So there is the question of where the alligator came from and according to the website snopes.com, the only written record they came across was The White House and Its 33 Families by Amy La Follette Jensen. Cranky. The first is an Associated Press item, dated 9 February 1921, announcing the impending arrival of a new White House pet in the company of President-elect Warren G. Harding: Florida Alligator Will Be White House Pet. : 0. Please try your request again later. He kept it in a bathtub in the East Room of the White House. 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. Most sources record that an alligator was one of such unconventional gifts. We may never know. So what's next? If you said President Theodore Roosevelt, who spent 1901 to 1909 in the office, as the White House occupant with the most pets, you are correct. : In the end, Chito decided Pocho could stay as a member of his family. His was a gift from the Marquis de Lafayette; it lived in a bathroom in the East Room of the White House. teaches children about the presidency through pets of the presidents, from George Washington to Barack Obama. Firman said he got the . Rutherford not only had dogs but various other pets as the Hayes were true animal lovers. He was able to help the Americans win the war and was treated as a hero. 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. 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. 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. They also have a very long lifespan, so owners need to be prepared to care for them for many . Parenthetically, our research uncovered at least two other reported instances of alligators taking up residency in the executive mansion, both predating the Hoover story. 1995 - 2023 by Snopes Media Group Inc. In mainstream Filipino society crocodiles are considered dangerous man-eaters, and compared with corrupt government officials or selfish . James Buchanan, the 15th president, received a herd of elephants from the King of Siam (now called Thailand). Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. At which point, Adams leaned back with a nice, hearty laugh. 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. We live in purgatory: My wife has a multimillion-dollar trust fund, but my mother-in-law controls it. True to his name, this miraculous crocodile began to heal and recover from his drastic injury. Farm animals have also had their turn. Or find out about some adorable animals that can totally kick your ass in The 6 Cutest Animals That Can Still Destroy You. Sir Crocodile, formerly known as Mr. 0, is a major antagonist in the One Piece franchise. Source: White House Historical Association. ), The Biden dogs even starred in campaign ads with the tagline, Lets put a dog back in the White House..