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TODAY o December 29, 2000
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See Spot run --- all the way to White House
Pet project: Spaniel Millie's daughter becomes top dog; Bush animal dynasty is a historical first.
Saeed Ahmed - Staff
Friday, December 29, 2000
When George W. Bush is sworn in as president Jan. 20, he won't be the only new White House occupant with a presidential pedigree.
He will be joined by Spot Fetcher Bush, a feisty English springer spaniel who's the daughter of former President George Bush's famous dog, Millie.
Millie was Washington's top dog in her time, and her canine view of life in the White House "as told to" then first lady Barbara Bush became a best seller that outsold the president's memoirs.
Now, it's Spot's turn to have the run of 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. She will share it with a 12-week-old Scottish terrier, Barney, and the Bushes' two cats: a shorthaired black cat named India and an orange-and-white six-toed kitten named Ernie that Spot found in a tree.
"Spot was born in the White House, so it will be a bit of a homecoming for her," says Ray Sullivan, a spokesman for the president-elect.
Over the years, the White House has been home to more than 400 animals --- from Abraham Lincoln's goat, Nanny, to President Clinton's Labrador retriever, Buddy.
The Bush animal dynasty connection, however, is a historical first, says Dr. Ron Elmore, associate dean of Kansas State University's College of Veterinary Medicine, who has researched the importance of pets in the lives of presidents.
With more American households boasting pets than children, first pets have been a source of entertainment for the public and the press, and a boon to a president's image.
"People identify with pets, and I'm absolutely convinced that the animals who lived in the White House helped our presidents win friends and ease tensions," Elmore says.
In some cases, they may even have won elections for their owners.
During the 1944 campaign, Franklin Delano Roosevelt reportedly ordered a destroyer to turn back in order to retrieve his beloved black Scottish terrier, Fala, accidentally left behind on an Aleutian island.
When his opponents howled in protest at thecost of the move to taxpayers, Roosevelt countered by saying, "I don't resent such attacks, and my family doesn't resent such attacks, but Fala does."
He went on to win the election.
Richard Nixon, aiming to be vice president in 1952, received a helping paw from his dog, Checkers, when he successfully defended an alleged slush fund saying the only gift he had ever accepted was a "little black-and-white cocker spaniel puppy."
But first pets also have caused their share of headaches.
Lyndon B. Johnson provoked a firestorm of animal cruelty accusations when he picked up his beagles, Him and Her, by their ears so that photographers could get a better shot.
And Theodore Roosevelt's bull terrier, Pete, was sent packing from the White House after he tore the pants off a visiting French ambassador.
Then there was Benjamin Harrison's goat, His Whiskers.
When His Whiskers ran away, passers-by were treated to the sight of a cane-waving president chasing a goat down Pennsylvania Avenue.
While dogs and cats have figured most prominently as presidential pets, a menagerie including snakes, an elephant and a hippo has passed through the White House.
Thomas Jefferson kept grizzly bears in a cage in his garden, and John Quincy Adams is said to have let his alligator reside in a White House bathtub.
Calvin Coolidge walked his raccoons, Rebecca and Horace, around the White House grounds on a leash.
And it took congressional intervention to force Martin Van Buren to relinquish his tiger cubs --- a gift from the sultan of Oman.
It's too soon to tell how Spot will be remembered. Perhaps, like her mother, she will inspire a best seller, or like Socks, the Clintons' cat, she will be content with her own Web site and fan club.
Then again, Spot may take a cue from Nixon's Irish setter, King Timahoe, and insist on meeting with foreign dignitaries when they come to visit.
REIGNING CATS AND DOGS
In metro Atlanta, more adults have pets at home than kids.
60 percent of adults have pets (71 percent of pet owners have dogs; 47 percent have cats; some have both)
46 percent of adults have children under 18 in their homes
51 percent of dog owners think of their dog as a person
43 percent of cats owners think of their cat as a person
Source: AJC Horizon Metro Poll of 735 adults in 16 metro Atlanta counties conducted in 1999
IS YOUR PET A WINNER?
Does your pet deserve to be in the White House? Tell us why in 40 words or fewer. We'll feature the winner and winning pet in the Living section and give the winner a \$50 gift certificate for pet supplies. Contact us at 404-526-5509 (fax), 404-222-8690 (voice) or esundquist@ajc.com. Be sure to include your name and a daytime telephone number.
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