A Tale of Two Tails
A TALE OF TWO TAILS
By Claire McLean
Founder, Presidential Pet Museum
The first tail belongs to a pure bred, AKC registered dog of known ancestry and identifiable characteristics. The second tail belongs to a dog of mixed, unknown ancestry, some breed characteristic (looks like a..) and without any papers or pedigree to brag about. Both tails wag like the wind.
Both tails have wonderful, friendly, outgoing, intelligent personalities, and tongues that go a mile a minute. Both tails have cold noses and deep brown adoring eyes that melt the human heart. Which one would you like to see in the Obama Family as the next Official White House Pet? The answer is BOTH!
Does it make a difference which tail lives in the White House, is captured in photos, videos, seen by people all over the world, and makes us all think twice about the President of the United States? Yes, it does. Do we think Twice about the role a pet will play in the perception of the first family? YES! Nearly everything it does will be reported and recorded for history. Consciously or subconsciously, people who read the stories and see the photos, or greet the Tail in person, will indeed go away with a lasting impression and a memory.
The last President who did not have a pet was Chester A. Arthur (1881-85) and everyone knows what historians think of him. For fear history would treat him unkindly (the Teapot scandal) his administration destroyed most of his White House history, History treated him unkindly anyway. Before Arthur, we had Millard Fillmore, James Polk, and Franklin Pierce all pet less, and as such they were unremarkable and less memorable. Those Presidents with an onslaught of pets and animals, from George Washington at Mount Vernon with his Foxhounds and mules, to George Bush with his Scottish Terriers, are as much remembered for their Pet episodes than for their accomplishments. There have been three times as many pets at the White House than Presidents, including their wives and children. Now, that must say something about America and its First Families.
As an example of how a Pet can create media frenzy, take the latest aggression by Barney Bush. Nipping that reporter hit nearly all the news media in the country. Remember the commercial craze for Socks the Cat who even had her own Fan Club. How about when Buddy was hit by a car and killed and he wasn’t even at the White House, and the celebration when Zsa Zsa Gabor christened the White dog House for the Reagan’s Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Rex. Should we even mention that the book the Bush’s Springer Spaniel Millie wrote, outsold the Presidents memoirs and Roosevelt’s Fala had a best seller that still sells extremely well. Then there is the story about Teddy Roosevelt and how he spared a bear and hence became the inspiration for our famous Teddy Bear. History tells us about Tad and Willie Lincolns cat and dog that both had babies in the White House on the same day, and how their father, Abraham Lincoln boasted about them and the goats that ran through the halls were just “Part of the family”. The historical and memorable, funny and not so funny stories of the Presidents, the families and their pets go on and on and that is what the Presidential Pet Museum does best, tell our visitors about personal historic moments in the life of our First Family and how it relates to our understanding of responsible Pet Ownership.
It is very important for the Obama family to make the best first choice of a Pet perfect as possible as the one thing the Public does not what to see is a “throw away Pet” That is where most of the Shelter, Pound, and Rescue animals come from. People find, after the first 6 months of puppy hood or new pet fascination, the daily chores of animal keeping set in, the responsibility dwindles and out goes the dog.
If at six months “It” still slips up, messes, doesn’t come, or chews up Michelle Cashmere sweater left on the couch, the public will know it.
Does it make a difference if it is a pure-bred, mixed breed or a cross-breed; (two distinct breeds paired, i.e Cocker Spaniel to Labrador equals Cockalab, also Cockapoo, Pekeapoo and lots of Doodles)? YES it does, and there is a legitimate concern for one over the other. Therefore, they should pick two tails, one for each daughter. Pure-breds embody centuries of planned breedings to achieve and perfect certain functions such as hunting, working, sport and pleasure. Mixed breeds, cross-breeds, mutt or mongrel are hap hazard accidents, or experimentation. Both are happy tails that need responsible care giving, and both would fit in at the White House. While the White House is not the best environment for a pet with the media limelight and the amazing environment, the Country is better served with a first Family with their pets.
I am told by Betty Saul, founder of www.petfinders.com that 3/4th of all shelter, pound and rescue dogs are of mixed ancestry. The one fourth of pure breds find homes faster and are most often sheltered or fostered by their breed clubs. Would a mixed breed of prominence encourage more mixed breeding and therefore more “homeless dogs”? Yes. Over-population is causing an overload of shelters. The First Family should emphasize the importance of responsible pet ownership by examples of love, and kind, thoughtful interaction with their pets. Responsible Pet Ownership Starts at the Top and the Obama will set the example for the Country.
By Claire McLean
Founder, Presidential Pet Museum
The first tail belongs to a pure bred, AKC registered dog of known ancestry and identifiable characteristics. The second tail belongs to a dog of mixed, unknown ancestry, some breed characteristic (looks like a..) and without any papers or pedigree to brag about. Both tails wag like the wind.
Both tails have wonderful, friendly, outgoing, intelligent personalities, and tongues that go a mile a minute. Both tails have cold noses and deep brown adoring eyes that melt the human heart. Which one would you like to see in the Obama Family as the next Official White House Pet? The answer is BOTH!
Does it make a difference which tail lives in the White House, is captured in photos, videos, seen by people all over the world, and makes us all think twice about the President of the United States? Yes, it does. Do we think Twice about the role a pet will play in the perception of the first family? YES! Nearly everything it does will be reported and recorded for history. Consciously or subconsciously, people who read the stories and see the photos, or greet the Tail in person, will indeed go away with a lasting impression and a memory.
The last President who did not have a pet was Chester A. Arthur (1881-85) and everyone knows what historians think of him. For fear history would treat him unkindly (the Teapot scandal) his administration destroyed most of his White House history, History treated him unkindly anyway. Before Arthur, we had Millard Fillmore, James Polk, and Franklin Pierce all pet less, and as such they were unremarkable and less memorable. Those Presidents with an onslaught of pets and animals, from George Washington at Mount Vernon with his Foxhounds and mules, to George Bush with his Scottish Terriers, are as much remembered for their Pet episodes than for their accomplishments. There have been three times as many pets at the White House than Presidents, including their wives and children. Now, that must say something about America and its First Families.
As an example of how a Pet can create media frenzy, take the latest aggression by Barney Bush. Nipping that reporter hit nearly all the news media in the country. Remember the commercial craze for Socks the Cat who even had her own Fan Club. How about when Buddy was hit by a car and killed and he wasn’t even at the White House, and the celebration when Zsa Zsa Gabor christened the White dog House for the Reagan’s Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Rex. Should we even mention that the book the Bush’s Springer Spaniel Millie wrote, outsold the Presidents memoirs and Roosevelt’s Fala had a best seller that still sells extremely well. Then there is the story about Teddy Roosevelt and how he spared a bear and hence became the inspiration for our famous Teddy Bear. History tells us about Tad and Willie Lincolns cat and dog that both had babies in the White House on the same day, and how their father, Abraham Lincoln boasted about them and the goats that ran through the halls were just “Part of the family”. The historical and memorable, funny and not so funny stories of the Presidents, the families and their pets go on and on and that is what the Presidential Pet Museum does best, tell our visitors about personal historic moments in the life of our First Family and how it relates to our understanding of responsible Pet Ownership.
It is very important for the Obama family to make the best first choice of a Pet perfect as possible as the one thing the Public does not what to see is a “throw away Pet” That is where most of the Shelter, Pound, and Rescue animals come from. People find, after the first 6 months of puppy hood or new pet fascination, the daily chores of animal keeping set in, the responsibility dwindles and out goes the dog.
If at six months “It” still slips up, messes, doesn’t come, or chews up Michelle Cashmere sweater left on the couch, the public will know it.
Does it make a difference if it is a pure-bred, mixed breed or a cross-breed; (two distinct breeds paired, i.e Cocker Spaniel to Labrador equals Cockalab, also Cockapoo, Pekeapoo and lots of Doodles)? YES it does, and there is a legitimate concern for one over the other. Therefore, they should pick two tails, one for each daughter. Pure-breds embody centuries of planned breedings to achieve and perfect certain functions such as hunting, working, sport and pleasure. Mixed breeds, cross-breeds, mutt or mongrel are hap hazard accidents, or experimentation. Both are happy tails that need responsible care giving, and both would fit in at the White House. While the White House is not the best environment for a pet with the media limelight and the amazing environment, the Country is better served with a first Family with their pets.
I am told by Betty Saul, founder of www.petfinders.com that 3/4th of all shelter, pound and rescue dogs are of mixed ancestry. The one fourth of pure breds find homes faster and are most often sheltered or fostered by their breed clubs. Would a mixed breed of prominence encourage more mixed breeding and therefore more “homeless dogs”? Yes. Over-population is causing an overload of shelters. The First Family should emphasize the importance of responsible pet ownership by examples of love, and kind, thoughtful interaction with their pets. Responsible Pet Ownership Starts at the Top and the Obama will set the example for the Country.
posted by Claire McLean at 4:45 AM
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