Presidents of the United States and Their Beloved Pets

Warren G. Harding’s Airedale Terrier, Laddie Boy, was perhaps the first presidential pet to achieve true celebrity status. Laddie Boy attended cabinet meetings, sat on a special chair, and was adored by the press. His popularity was so great that children across the nation sent him birthday gifts.

Harding also kept a bulldog named Old Boy, but Laddie Boy remained the star. Newspapers reported on his activities, and after Harding’s death, newsboys even created a statue in his honor. Laddie Boy’s fame showed how a presidential pet could capture the nation’s heart just as much as the president himself.