By James H. Johnson
Marlon Bundo has left Indiana and is making it big in Washington. He has an Instagram account that already has hundreds |of followers.
That’s not bad for an Indiana bunny. You see, Marlon is the pet rabbit of the Mike Pence family. Until recently, he lived at the governor’s residence in Indianapolis. Now he lives on the grounds of the U. S. Naval Observatory, where stands the beautiful home of the vice president of the United States.
The Pence family also has two cats, Oreo and Pickle.
There hasn’t been much research into the pets of vice presidents. Who knows what kind of dog or cat Joe Biden had?
However, when it comes to presidents, there is plenty of information. During the years the public has been as fascinated by White House pets as they have been by White House people.
Legend has it that Harry Truman said, “If you want a friend in Washington, get a dog.”
A lot of his predecessors already knew that. Nearly every United States president has owned at least one dog. According to the Presidential Pet Museum (yes, there is such a thing online) George Washington had at least 10 hounds. With names like Drunkard, Mopsey, Tipsy and Lady Rover, they must have been a lively group.
A list of the most famous presidential dogs would have to include Laddie Boy, the Airedale terrier owned by Warren G. Harding. Considered the first White House “celebrity pooch,” Laddie Boy was a huge favorite with the press corps. Today there is a statue of him at the Smithsonian.
Franklin D. Roosevelt’s dog Fala also was popular with the press. The Scottish Terrier had a bone brought up on the president’s breakfast tray each morning and traveled with his master on trips overseas.
Richard Nixon owned a cocker spaniel named Checkers which gained fame when the then-vice presidential candidate was answering questions about campaign gifts. In a note of family warmth, he said that Checkers had been a gift and his girls were not going to give him up. Checkers has his own chapter in the political history book.
“Him” and “Her” were two beagles who gained notoriety when their owner picked them up by their ears. He happened to be Lyndon B. Johnson. After the picture went viral (in the 1960s way,) LBJ learned a lesson in pet care.
Of course, there were more than dogs at the White House.
Over the years, presidential families had many kinds of pet. There were cats, canaries, donkeys, geese, raccoons, hamsters, ponies and horses. Herbert Hoover had eight dogs and two alligators. Theodore Roosevelt had a whole menagerie of animals for his family, including a pygmy hippopotamus.
The only president from Indiana, Benjamin Harrison, kept pets for the entertainment of his grandchildren. While in Washington, the Harrisons owned a border collie named Dash, a goat named Mr. Whiskers, and a parrot named Polly.
Polly was a favorite. President Harrison personally gave him a cracker each day. Mrs. Harrison favored the bird because, unlike other parrots of the day, he never learned to swear. He did talk, though, and he talked a lot. He learned to imitate the voice of the president, which amused everyone, especially the president.
Harrison loved to play hide-and-seek with his young grandson, Baby McKee. “Where’s my boy?” he would ask, as he searched for the little lad. “Where’s my boy, boy, boy, where is that boy?”
Polly became famous for his ability to mimic the words that echoed through the White House. When Benjamin Harrison lost his bid for re-election in 1892, he moved back to Indianapolis. The parrot moved, too, to the homes of family members and friends.
Polly lived a long time. When he died in 1930, those who knew him spoke lovingly of his pleasant company and large vocabulary. They recalled that, even in his later years, he often called out, “Where’s my boy, boy, boy, where is that boy?”
So far there has been no news of pets at the Trump White House. There will probably be pressure in public opinion for the new president to adopt at least one dog. It will be interesting to see which breed is chosen. There is bound to be much comment on all sides as the Presidential Pet Museum adds another member.
Visitors to the Benjamin Harrison Home will find much more on this topic when a new exhibit, “Presidential Pets,” opens on March 9. The home is located at 1230 N. Delaware St. in Indianapolis.
James H. Johnson is a retired teacher who lives in Greenwood. Send comments to [email protected].
