George Washington
In office 1789-1797
Vulcan, George Washington’s hound, once stole a ham from the kitchen right before a dinner party.
Multiple dogs
Drunkard, Mopsey, Taster, Cloe, Tipsy, Forester, Captain, Lady Rover, Vulcan, Sweet Lips, Searcher, Madam Moose and others.
Eight horses
Samson, Steady, Leonidas, Traveller, Magnolia, Nelson and Blueskin (one name unknown).
John Adams
In office 1797-1801
The two mixed-breed dogs that lived in the White House belonged to First Lady Abigail Adams.
Two horses
Cleopatra and Caesar
Two dogs
Juno and Satan
Thomas Jefferson
In office 1801-1809
Thomas Jefferson bought his dog, Bergere, in France. She had two puppies onboard the ship heading back to the United States.
One dog
Bergere
Birds
Dick and others
Two bear cubs
Names unknown
James Madison
In office 1809-1817
The parrot that lived in the White House actually belonged to First Lady Dolley Madison, not James.
One parrot
Polly
James Monroe
In office 1817-1825
The only known pet in the White House during James Monroe’s term was a spaniel belonging to his youngest daughter, Maria Monroe.
One dog
A spaniel, name unknown
John Quincy Adams
In office 1825-1829
John Quincy Adams’ alligator was a gift from the Marquis de Lafayette.
One alligator and multiple silkworms
Names unknown
Andrew Jackson
In office 1829-1837
Andrew Jackson’s horse, Sam Patch, was named after the first famous American daredevil.
Five horses
Bolivia, Emily, Lady Nashville, Sam Patch and Thruxton.
One parrot
Poll
Martin Van Buren
In office 1837-1841
One of three presidents to not have any pets while in office.
William Henry Harrison
In office March-April 1841
William Henry Harrison served the shortest presidential term in history, dying 32 days after his March 4, 1841, inauguration.
One cow
Sukey
One goat
Name unknown
John Tyler
In office 1841-1845
John Tyler’s Italian greyhound, Le Beau, was gifted to him from the consul of Naples.
One canary
Johnny Ty
Three dogs
Le Beau (a greyhound), other names unknown
One horse
The General
James K. Polk
In office 1845-1849
One of three presidents to not have any pets while in office.
Which president had the most pets?
Zachary Taylor
In office 1849-1850
Old Whitey was a revered war horse while Apollo was reported to be a former circus pony.
Two horses
Old Whitey and Apollo
Millard Fillmore
In office 1850-1853
Millard Fillmore’s ponies were named after surveyors Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon.
Two horses
Mason and Dixon
Franklin Pierce
In office 1853-1857
Commodore Matthew Perry gifted Franklin Pierce seven dogs, but he only kept one. The others were given away to friends.
One dog
A Japanese Chin, name unknown.
James Buchanan
In office 1857-1861
James Buchanan is the only President who never married. His large Newfoundland, Lara, kept him company in the White House.
One dog
Lara
Abraham Lincoln
In office 1861-1865
Fido, Abraham Lincoln’s dog, didn’t get to live in the White House. Instead, he stayed in Springfield, Illinois.
Two goats
Nanny and Nanko
Multiple horses
One named “Old Bob,” other names unknown
One dog
Fido
Two cats
Tabby and Dixie
Multiple rabbits
Names unknown
Andrew Johnson
In office 1865-1869
While he did not have any official pets, Andrew Johnson reportedly left flour out at night for a family of mice.
Mice
Names and quantity unknown.
Ulysses S. Grant
In office 1869-1877
Two dogs
Rosie and Faithful
Multiple horses
Names unknown
Rutherford B. Hayes
In office 1877-1881
Rutherford Hayes’ cat, Siam, was reported to be the first Siamese cat in America.
Eight dogs
Hector, Duke, Grim, Otis, Dot, Juno, Shep and Jet
Three cats
Siam, Miss Pussy and Piccolomini
One goat
Name unknown
Five birds
Names unknown
Four cows
Names unknown
Multiple horses
Names unknown
James A. Garfield
In office March-September 1881
One dog
Veto, a Newfoundland
One horse
Kit
Chester A. Arthur
In office 1881-1885
Horses
Names and quantity unknown
Which pets were the most common?
Grover Cleveland
In office 1885-1889, 1893-1897
Grover Cleveland is the only president to leave the White House and then return four years later for a second term.
Six dogs
One poodle, Hector; Other names unknown
Two birds
Names unknown
One horse
Name unknown
Fish
Names unknown
Game chickens
Names unknown
Benjamin Harrison
In office 1889-1893
Dash, First Lady Caroline Harrison’s collie, had his own doghouse at the White House.
Two dogs
Dash and Jack
One goat
Old Whiskers
Two opossums
Mr. Reciprocity and Mr. Protection
William McKinley
In office 1897-1901
William McKinley’s parrot could apparently whistle the tune of “Yankee Doodle Dandy.”
Roosters
Names unknown
Two cats
Enrique DeLome and Valeriano Weyler
One parrot
Loretta
Theodore Roosevelt
In office 1901-1909
Theodore Roosevelt began his presidency with more pets than any previous president.
Eleven horses
Bleistein, Renown, Algonquin, Roswell, Rusty, Jocko Root, Grey Dawn, Wyoming, Yagenka, General and Judge
Six dogs
Pete, Jack, Skip, Rollo, Manchu and Sailor Boy
Five guinea pigs
Admiral Dewey, Dr. Johnson, Bishop Doane, Fighting Bob Evans and Father O’Grady
Two cats
Tom Quartz and Slippers
One pig
Maude
One badger
Josiah
One macaw
Eli Yale
One bear
Jonathan Edwards
One hen
Baron Spreckle
One rabbit
Peter
One lizard
Bill
One snake
Emily Spinach
One rat
Jonathan
Flying squirrels, one rooster, one hyena, one barn owl and two kangaroo rats
Names unknown
William H. Taft
In office 1909-1913
Opera singer Enrico Caruso gifted William Taft a dog because he didn’t think cows were fun pets for Taft’s daughter, Helen.
One dog
Caruso
Two cows
Mooly Wooly and Pauline Wayne
Woodrow Wilson
In office 1913-1921
Woodrow Wilson’s ram, Old Ike, was known for chewing tobacco and cigars.
Birds
Names unknown
Sheep
Names unknown
One cat
Puffins
Three dogs
Bruce, Mountain Boy and Davie
One ram
Old Ike
Warren G. Harding
In office 1921-1923
Laddie Boy, Warren G. Harding’s Airedale terrier, was the first White House pet to get regular coverage from newspapers.
Canaries
Names unknown
Squirrel
Pete
Two dogs
Old Boy and Laddie Boy
Calvin Coolidge
In office 1923-1929
First Lady Grace Coolidge included Rob Roy, a white collie, in her official White House portrait.
12 dogs
Prudence Prim, Rob Roy, Peter Pan, Paul Pry, Calamity Jane, Tiny Tim, Blackberry, Ruby Rouch, Bessie, Boston Beans, King Cole, Palo Alto
Seven birds
Nip, Tuck, Snowflake, Old Bill, Enoch (other names unknown)
Two cats
Tiger and Blacky
Two raccoons
Reuben and Rebecca
One donkey
Ebenezer
One bobcat
Smoky
Herbert Hoover
In office 1929-1933
Herbert Hoover’s wirehaired Irish wolfhound, Cragwood Seamrog, became too aggressive around strangers and even bit one of the Marine guards at Camp Rapidan. A soldier at Fort Myer volunteered to take him.
15 dogs
Glen, Big Boy, Buckeye, Cragwood Padraic, Cragwood Padraic II, Cragwood Seamrog, Gillette, King Tut, Ole, Olay, Pat, Weegie, Mark, Whoopie and Yukon
One opossum
Billy Possum
One cat
Kitty
One bird
Caruso
Franklin D. Roosevelt
In office 1933-1945
Franklin Roosevelt’s 1944 trip to Alaska was subject to Republican criticism — and Fala, his Scottish terrier, was in the center of the dispute. Critics accused Roosevelt of leaving Fala behind in the Aleutian Islands during his six-day fishing trip, a story Roosevelt vehemently denied.
One dog
Fala
Over 100 dogs have lived in the White House — but which President had the most?
Harry S. Truman
In office 1945-1953
Harry Truman wasn’t a dog person and reportedly gave Feller away to his doctor.
Two dogs
Feller and Mike
Dwight D. Eisenhower
In office 1953-1961
Dwight D. Eisenhower’s Weimaraner, Heidi, was allowed to roam the White House grounds as she wished.
One dog
Heidi
One bird
Gabby
John F. Kennedy
In office 1961-1963
Pushinka was a gift from Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev. Pushinka and Charlie’s puppies were gifted to kids who had written letters to the White House.
Five horses
Rufus, Sardar, Tex, Macaroni and Leprechaun
Seven dogs
Charlie, Pushinka, White Tips, Blackie, Shannon, Clipper and Wolf
One cat
Tom Kitten
Three birds
Robin, Bluebell and Maybelle
Two hamsters
Debbie and Billie
One rabbit
Zsa Zsa
Lyndon B. Johnson
In office 1963-1969
Johnson caused a stir when he lifted up “Him” by the ears for a White House photo. He was also the last president to have a pet that was not a dog or cat.
Seven dogs
Him, Her, Kim, Freckles, Edgar, Blanco and Yuki
Hamsters and birds
Names unknown
Richard M. Nixon
In office 1969-1974
Vicky once tried to snatch a goldfish from a pond on White House grounds.
Three dogs
Vicky, Pasha and King Timahoe
Gerald R. Ford
In office 1974-1977
Shan was named after a town Gerald Ford visited in China while a US congressman.
Two dogs
Liberty and Misty
One cat
Shan
Jimmy Carter
In office 1977-1981
Grits was born on the same day Jimmy Carter won the presidential election in 1976.
Two dogs
Grits and Lewis Brown
One cat
Misty Malarky Ying Yang
Ronald Reagan
In office 1981-1989
Rex Reagan had a dog house that was a replica of the White House.
Two dogs
Rex and Lucky
George H.W. Bush
In office 1989-1993
Millie is the only first pet to “write” a book, “Millie’s Book.” Her puppy, Spot, lived in the White House with George W. Bush and his family.
Two dogs
Ranger and Millie
Bill Clinton
In office 1993-2001
Buddy was named after a longtime Clinton family friend who died around the time they adopted the dog.
One dog
Buddy
One cat
Socks
George W. Bush
In office 2001-2009
Scottish terrier Barney had his own website and appeared in “Barney Cam” videos.
One cat
India
Three dogs
Spot Fetcher, Miss Beazley and Barney
Barack Obama
In office 2009-2017
Bo was a gift to the Obamas from Sen. Ted Kennedy and his wife.
Two dogs
Sunny and Bo
Donald J. Trump
In office 2017-2021
The Trump family didn’t have a pet, but in 2019, Donald Trump gave honors at the White House to Conan, a US military dog injured during a raid on ISIS.
Joseph R. Biden
In office 2021-
The Bidens recently added a puppy named “Commander” to their family, following the death of their beloved German Shepherd Champ, who passed away in June at the age of 13.
Two dogs
Major and Commander
Animations by Melody Shih. Presidential portraits from White House Historical Association and Getty Images. Pet count and names are based on reports by presidential libraries.
