There are two important roles that White House dogs have held over the years. Some literally improved the image of a president and helped POTUS gain popularity, while other dogs have simply been loyal companions. Presidents like Theodore Roosevelt, Herbert Hoover, and John F. Kennedy all lived with one or more dogs!
According to TheHill.com,
"Our 31st President Herbert Hoover was an avid dog lover who was the first to really use a pet for political purposes. Following campaign advice, with hopes of shaping his image into something warmer and more charismatic, he released a photograph of himself with his German Shepherd, King Tut."
Most recently, the Obamas shared the White House with Bo and Sunny, both Portuguese Water Dogs. How cute was Bo at six months old!
Why doesn't President Trump have a dog?
The Washington Post tells us,
"I wouldn't mind having one, honestly, but I don't have any time."
Perhaps Trump will enjoy the company of a dog if he wins re-election. If he doesn't win, there is a very good chance we'll see a four-legged member join the new administration as there are so many candidates already bringing their dogs on the campaign trail like Elizabeth Warren.
Presidential hopefuls are very proud of their relationships with their dogs! These five 2020 contenders have snapped pics of their dogs for Instagram and Twitter. Some are rescues and some may be purebred - all adorable!
1. Elizabeth Warren and Bailey, the Golden
Elizabeth Warren is a U.S. Senator in Massachusetts sharing the campaign with her Golden Retriever, Bailey.
"We named him after George Bailey, the community banker in It's a Wonderful Life — a guy who was decent, determined & saw the best in people."
2. Pete Buttigieg and Buddy & Truman
Pete Buttigieg is the Mayor of South Bend, Indiana, and a veteran of the Afghan War. Buddy is the newest addition to the household yet Truman is well known through the South Bend community.
3. Kirsten Gillibrand and Maple, the Labradoodle
This New York Senator replaced Hilary Clinton and lives with Maple, this adorable Labradoodle. She has yet to appear in a photo opportunity related to the campaign (that we could find!).
4. John Hickenlooper and Skye, the Akita mix
Hickenlooper was the governor of Colorado until January, and previously held the most Colorado trifecta of jobs imaginable: mayor of Denver, geologist, and brewery owner. His dog Skye is an Akita-bulldog-Chow Chow mix.
5. Beto O'Rourke has two dogs, Artemis and Rosie
Kids and I agree that Artemis is best in show. #NationalDogShow pic.twitter.com/LahNLojca0
— Rep. Beto O'Rourke (@RepBetoORourke) November 23, 2017
Beto O'Rourke will run for president in 2020. Beto O'Rourke is a former Texas Congressman and his black dog was featured during his 2018 battle with incumbent Senator Ted Cruz.
The DesertNews.com reported that Artemis appears sad in campaign pics,
"It isn't O'Rourke himself who has won the hearts of the web this week: it's his family dog Artemis."
Some people are simply saying they are voting for O'Rourke's dog!
Beto's dog was sent from an alternate timeline to warn us about something, but we aren't listening. pic.twitter.com/c5HqelZatu
— Colin Diersing (@cdiersing) March 13, 2019
Do you think his dog appears sad? Perhaps this is just "his look".
The original story was published on March 13, 2019.
6. Joe Biden has two dogs, Major and Champ
Joe Biden adopted a German shepherd named Major from the Delaware Humane Association and now everything in the world feels a little bit better. https://t.co/eVF6Rs2nrr pic.twitter.com/IKkyFr2tVY
— Sophie Vershbow (@svershbow) November 17, 2018
Joe Biden has entered the race and has two dogs! Go, Joe! The former vice president certainly made a powerful statement when he rescued a dog named Major!
"It was such an honor for us to adopt a puppy to Vice President Joe Biden and Dr. Jill Biden," Patrick Carroll, the executive director of the Delaware Humane Association, said in an official statement about working with the Bidens through their adoption.
Are there any candidates without dogs? The list of 2020 candidates without dogs on the campaign trail include Bernie Sanders, Kamala Harris (but posts pics of dogs anyway), and Cory Booker (promised a child during a school visit there would be a dog in his administration).
We'll keep looking for articles and through social media feeds to see whether other candidates being added to the list have dogs (or cats) like John Delaney, Jay Inslee of Washington (climate change candidate), Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii and Julian Castro. (Please leave us a comment if you have some intelligence about this).
It just doesn't matter if you're a democrat or republican when it comes to dogs! Whether you're a Massachusetts Senator or the Mayor of Newark, all of these candidates will be asked whether or not they plan to bring a dog to the White House in 2020. Some may make the argument that these presidential candidates will have an edge if they live with dogs.
Cory Booker was asked by a child during a school visit about a dog so it's inevitable that every candidate will be asked about this! Americans take this very seriously.
President Trump may simply be taking this term off from having a dog. Based on research it appears President Reagan didn't have a dog until his second term. So if Donald Trump was re-elected perhaps he'll invite a four-legged friend into the White House at that point!
The editorial staff at Wide Open Pets strongly recommends a dog sit in on the exploratory committee for these candidates as they can add some thoughts on the best dog treats and beds the White House needs before they move in!
With this in mind, dogs are not the only animal to live at the White House. Theodore Roosevelt's pet one-legged rooster was well known back in 1915!
Theodore Roosevelt's pet one-legged rooster - ca. 1915. #Roosevelt #pet #rooster #1910s #pets #birds #10s #US #USA #UShistory #history #POTUS pic.twitter.com/7Wwt7sTeBk
— Photos of Old (@PhotosOfOld) June 28, 2018
CNN and Bloomberg will continue to report on any newcomers entering the race and we plan to update this story as new candidates are making presidential bids and showing off their adorable dogs joining them on the trail. We will be watching as more Democratic nominations are announced for the 2020 race!
Which of these candidate's dogs is your fave? Will this influence your vote? Please leave us a comment below.
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