Founding farm animals and exotic gifts
The Victorian era wild menageries
Raccoons, sheep, and Cold War diplomacy
Modern media darlings and pet diplomacy
YOUR GOAL
Master of White House pets
schopenhauer Presidential Pets
Sheep, raccoons, and space pups! Sheep, raccoons, and space pups! Soft little diplomats!

schopenhauer Herbert Hoover used a photo of his dog King Tut to soften his public image.

schopenhauer Rebecca the raccoon was sent to the White House to be eaten but became a pet.

schopenhauer Match unusual pets to their presidents to discover how animals influenced global diplomacy.
Coolidge's raccoon: Rebecca the raccoon was originally sent to the White House to be eaten, but the family adopted her instead.
The profession, activity, or skill of managing international relations. In 1961, Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev gifted President John F. Kennedy a dog named Pushinka.
What breed of dog was President Franklin D. Roosevelt's famous companion, Fala, who became an honorary army private and has his own statue?
Which President was gifted a rare pygmy hippopotamus named Billy, who eventually became the ancestor of almost all pygmy hippos in American zoos?
What was the name of the famous pet raccoon kept by the Coolidge family, which was originally sent to be eaten for Thanksgiving?
Which President brought a flock of sheep to graze on the White House lawn during World War I?
Which President received a puppy named Pushinka, the daughter of a Soviet space dog, during the Cold War?
What was the name of the last cow to graze on the White House lawn, owned by President William Howard Taft to provide fresh milk?
Which President used photos of himself with his Belgian Malinois, King Tut, to soften his public image during an election?
Which President's Airedale Terrier, named Laddie Boy, was so popular he had his own hand-carved chair for high-level Cabinet meetings?
