Tuesday, February 3, 2009

Jane Donuts Loves Animals, and So Do Some Presidents!


Thanks to the Discovery Network, Jane Donuts has learned about pets owned by various presidents:

Thomas Jefferson- pet bear cubs
James Madison- parrot
John Quincy Adams- silkworms, alligator
Andrew Jackson- fighting cocks, a cussing parrot
Martin Van Buren- tiger cubs
William Henry Harrison- pet goat
John Tyler- first president to own a canary
Abraham Lincoln- loved animals and owned many, including a pet rabbit
Andrew Johnson- white mice
Grover Cleveland- mockingbirds
Benjamin Harrison- opossum
Theodore Roosevelt- a full house with a pet garter snake, pig, rat, badger, guinea pig
Calvin Coolidge- pet raccoons, goose, bobcat, lion cubs, wallaby and a pygmy hippopotamus

Never having been much of a student of presidential history, Jane Donuts never felt much kinship with any of these gentleman, with the possible exception of Andrew Jackson, who always struck her as kind of a thrilling individual. (And judging by his choice of pets, perhaps he was a little too thrilling. Fighting cocks? Unnecessary.) But it's funny how knowing what kind of pet someone owns tells you something about their character.

Lincoln? Lovable.
Quincy Adams? Weird.
Harrison? Funny.
Roosevelt? Mischevious.
And Calvin Coolidge? Wild. (Who knew?)

No wonder the Obamas are dragging their feet on the dog decision. So much riding on it. If they get, say, a maltipoo, we'll all lose respect.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Cast aside these mortal cares of the flesh and prepare yourself for the return...for something wicked this way comes...

Jane Donuts said...

this comment thing is really crazy. anyway, I would lose respect for anyone with a maltipoo, even my beloved obama.