Presidential pets can breed controversy. A dog was once suspected of being a spy

October 7, 2023 7:00 AM ET
By Scott Neuman



Clockwise from top left: Pushinka, a gift to President John F. Kennedy from Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev; Bo, President Barack Obama's Portuguese water dog; Commander, President Biden's German shepherd; and Socks, President Bill Clinton's cat.
William J. Smith/AP Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images (2), Marcy Nighswander/AP

News that another of President Biden's German shepherds has been transferred from the White House to the proverbial doghouse brings to mind a veritable menagerie of first pets that have graced 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

Since President George Washington, the White House has been home to cats, birds, and a variety of more exotic animals. Some have been immortalized in speeches, while others have found themselves at the center of controversy, with one even suspected of espionage!

Van Buren wanted to keep tiger cubs. Congress said no

President Martin Van Buren was on the receiving end of a pair of tiger cubs originally gifted to his predecessor, Andrew Jackson, by the Sultan of Oman. By the time they arrived in Washington, D.C., Van Buren was president and adamant about keeping the animals. But Congress insisted the cubs were the property of the U.S. government, not the chief executive, according to a National Park Service account.

"In the end, the President lost his argument with Congress and gave the tiger cubs to a zoo," the park service says.

[...]